


The Clockwork King

by ClockDreamsForever0912



Series: The Clockwork King Series [1]
Category: Spyro, Spyro the Dragon (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Beauty and the Beast Elements, F/M, Jack and the Cuckoo Clock Heart Elements, Original song lyrics, friendship to romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2020-07-08 06:15:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 55,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19864852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClockDreamsForever0912/pseuds/ClockDreamsForever0912
Summary: Lindar, a spoiled and sharp-tongued prince, is desperate to rid himself of the pain of a broken heart.  His careless words result in a curse that strips him of his heart.  Secluding himself for some years, he has lost all hope in breaking his curse.  Unbeknownst to him, the answer to his prayers comes running through the front door on a stormy evening.





	1. Prologue: The Deal with the Devil

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story on AO3! The AU of this story is inspired by an AU a good friend of mine on here and Tumblr, Dracostar! I've written some drabbles based on this AU on my Tumblr blog, but I'm posting the full story here for everyone to enjoy. After playing the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, Lindar is one of my favorite dragons! And I ended up creating a few dragonesses, one of whom will play an important role in the story. And watching Beauty and the Beast over and over again helped, too! Enough of my rambling, sit back and enjoy (while I still learn the ropes around here)!

Prologue: The Deal with the Devil

Nothing hurt worse like a broken heart.

A secluded castle sat beyond vast forests. While it wasn’t as gigantic as those in the neighboring regions, it still held the air of nobility and prestige that well-known kings and queens held. Flocks of sheep settled around the courtyards, munching on grass. The bright colors on the outside would take even the most stoic commoner’s breath away. But the bright stone and marble did well to hide the dark and dreary tension lurking inside.

There was an anguished cry as the balcony doors violently burst open.

A light-blue dragon with spiky blonde hair stormed to the balcony’s edge and laid his head down. The darkened clouds did well to match the storm of emotions in his head. A few surprise raindrops landed on his back and he subconsciously shielded himself with his wings. But rain was the least of his worries. The only concern of his was his pain. Pain from the onset of loneliness. Pain from having his heart shattered.

Lindar was heartbroken and all alone. 

The castle he called home used to bustle with other dragons and the like. Most were servants, others were visiting aristocrats who preferred bragging about their wealth and status. Lindar prided himself over his status, but he had a major weakness: he couldn’t control his tongue. He got too full of himself and ran his mouth off one too many times. It caused a lot of grief for his reputable parents. Needless to say, there was one time too many when Lindar’s loose tongue caused trouble. The last time ended with much of the castle staff quitting…

Things seemed to get worse after that. 

Lindar thought he found the love of his life. There were talks of getting married and going to a faraway place. But a wake-up call came when he found said love of his life in the arms of some arrogant, short-tempered, short-statured duke. Lindar lost count of the days he spent crying. The ones who usually tended to his every need weren’t there to do so.

There was a horrible argument with his father after that. The king put up with his son’s antics for too long. Lindar called him many names out of anger, even close to telling him he hated him. He hated being told who to marry, how to act, and having his life decided for him. Lindar finally told him to drop dead. The very next day…and he never got to say he was sorry.

The only one he had left was his mother. She stood by him, no matter what. Even after everyone else left, she stayed by her son’s side. And now, she was…

The servants watched her be lowered into the earth next to her husband. They didn’t know what to say to him. Some offered to come back, but he wanted no one there. He told them to leave and never come back. Now he was all alone.

He needed to take away the aching pain of his broken heart. But no matter what thoughts he filled his head with, the pain remained. The awful memories took permanent residence in his head and his heart. He needed a remedy that the local potion-maker or apothecary couldn’t concoct. He needed instant healing. As skeptical as he was of its legitimacy…he needed a magic remedy. And if the talk he heard from the servants proved true, he didn’t have to look far.

He wasted no time in flying towards the deepest part of the vast forest. He flew past the colorful trees and went into a growing cluster of dead, rotting trees. There were tales that past these trees, there was a dark palace where a revered sorceress resided. And she was revered for offering magical cures for even the worst ailments. Some even sold their souls to her to find their true loves, as the rumors went. Perhaps she could cure him of his broken heart.

He finally found it past the rotting trees. An old, dark palace much smaller than his lay in front of him. Rhino-like soldiers glanced up from their activities and saw the nicely-dressed dragon land and walk up the path. A few readied their weapons until Lindar casually dropped a handful of gold coins and gems. The soldiers dropped their weapons and fought over the riches, prompting Lindar to strut his way into the decrepit palace. 

“Sorceress! I demand to see you!”

He didn’t get an immediate answer. Either the woman was out or she wasn’t in a hurry. He thought of going further inside, but a set of heavy footsteps made him freeze. Out of a dark chamber, a blue, reptilian creature emerged. A small, gaudy crown rested on her head and a white ruff and purple vest projected a sense of royalty. Even the rings on her fingers and toes were a bit much. But what really stood out was the golden scepter housing an egg-shaped jewel. The glow of the jewel sent shivers down Lindar’s spine.

The Sorceress pursed her lips together and scoffed softly. She walked past any other of her soldiers and eyed the dragon before her, sighing, “No need to be rude, dragon. What happened to my guards outside?”

“Mooks like them can never resist a handful of treasure,” Lindar answered, smirking.

The Sorceress eyed him, studying his clothes and that arrogant little smirk on his lips. A fancy kerchief, coat, even a fanciful chain that would lead to a fanciful watch. “Let me guess…you’re a prince, right? If a prince has come to see me, then you must be very desperate for something.”

Lindar didn’t want to seem like he was desperate, but he was. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be going to see this snotty blue crocodile. He straightened his kerchief and confirmed, “Yes, or I wouldn’t bother with the likes of you. I heard that you can mend just about anything with your magic. I need that to fix a broken heart.”

“What? Just a broken heart?” The Sorceress asked incredulously, “No desire for a plague upon your enemies? Or a monster to destroy what broke your heart?”

Lindar rolled his sky-blue eyes and sneered, “A plague or a monster won’t do me any good. I just want to take the pain away forever! Just tell me what sort of payment I need to make; I have enough riches to sustain you!”

He pulled out another handful of gems and gold for the Sorceress to gaze upon. He hoped she would fall to greed and comply with his demands. She seemed interested at first, but suddenly laughed in his face. He didn’t know why, but getting laughed at made his hand go limp and the riches clatter onto the marble floor. Did she have more riches than he did? No, that wouldn’t be possible; he had to keep trying.

“Look, I don’t have anything else to lose,” Lindar growled. “If you want more than this, I’ll get you more! I’ll even give you my prized pocket watch! Just fix my problem!”

“A few handfuls of gold and gems aren’t my desired payments, prince,” the Sorceress chuckled. “I desire things worth more than material riches.”

Lindar blinked, but he soon clasped his hands over his chest and shook his head. “Oh, no! You’re not getting my soul! Think of something else you want; I’m running out of patience!”

But the Sorceress wanted to stoke the fires of his agitation further. She always enjoyed playing with the rude ones until they gave her what she wanted. She had no use for gold or gems. She’d take things like the firstborn child or the immortal soul. She hadn’t decided what she wanted from this uppity dragon prince, however. 

“I have to think long and hard on what I want as the price, dear prince. You don’t rush magic!”

Lindar finally snapped. Smoke rose from his nostrils and veins literally started popping up around his neck. He let go of all his inhibitions and let loose what caused all his problems in the first place.

“I see…so you’re really nothing but a scam artist. You’re trying to drain me of everything I have left and laugh in my face,” Lindar snidely jeered. “You so-called sorceresses and witches and fortune tellers are all fake! That scepter is nothing but a prop! I’m wasting my time with some ugly, overweight harpy who can’t even live in a real castle! I see now where the tales of misfortune come from: your so-called customers probably gouged their eyes out after having to lay eyes on you!”

There was silence in the dark palace, save for a few of the guards muttering uh-ohs. Lindar crossed his arms and quietly reveled in the satisfaction of his rant. He was too caught up in his ego that he didn’t notice the change in the Sorceress’ eyes. If he knew better, he would run. Instead, he looked at her and wouldn’t budge until he got what he wanted. The way she grinned made him believe he would.

“…Very well, dear prince. I’ll help you. In fact, I have just the thing to take away your pain.”

Lindar stood still and watched the Sorceress wave her wand. He failed to notice the soldiers backing away in fear. He stared mesmerized at the glowing jewel in the scepter and prepared himself for days free of pain. No more broken heart! His excitement quickly shifted to dread when the jewel flashed a sinister glow.

“No need to deal with heartache…when you don’t have a heart at all.”

“What-“

The Sorceress waved her scepter and Lindar’s body seized. A pain he could only describe as having knives tear through his innards filled his chest. He placed his hands on his chest and wrapped his wings around himself, but nothing dulled this pain. He gasped as his heart literally felt like it was pounding its way out of his chest. Lindar found himself crying in agony. His wings finally forced themselves apart and his hands pulled away from his chest. He begged and begged for this to stop, but to no avail. As soon as the Sorceress pulled her glowing scepter back, something was forcibly ripped out of Lindar’s ribcage.

Lindar collapsed to his knees and knew something was wrong. He watched his light-blue scales grow ashen and his hands border on bony. His entire body shook like mad, growing worse as he put his hands to his face. He saw his reflection in the dreary marble floor and saw his face became sunken-in. But as he studied his reflection, he noticed what was most terrifying. He looked…and saw the hole in his chest. Right where his heart should be.

That was when he noticed the struggling orb of light floating above the Sorceress’ scepter. The flicker followed in-sync with a heartbeat and illuminated small cracks along the surface. He watched the Sorceress tap her staff and the light began shifting into new form. The light faded and revealed the new form: a wooden clock, ironically, in the shape of a heart. Lindar caught it before it could hit the ground.

“There,” the Sorceress purred with fake sweetness, “it’ll go great with your pocket watch.”

Lindar’s hands trembled as he cradled the heart-shaped clock to his chest. His breathing became erratic once he processed that he literally held his heart in his hands. Eyes fueled with venom, he shouted, “What did you do to me-“

The moment he expressed anger, he clutched at his chest with a howl of pain. The hole in his chest literally glowed red and the clock whirred and ticked like mad. He could’ve sworn he saw smoke coming out of it. He took several deep breaths and steadied himself until the clock cooled and the light faded. The Sorceress laughed like mad at the suffering dragon.

“Now don’t get too angry. That fragile heart of yours can’t handle anything too strong,” she chuckled snidely. “Maybe now you’ll learn to watch that wicked tongue.”

The Sorceress prepared to have the prince thrown out. Before she could command her soldiers, Lindar cried out, “W-Wait, please! I’m sorry! I take it all back!”

“A little late for that, sweetheart,” the Sorceress deadpanned.

She waved her hands, prompting the soldiers to come and throw the dragon out. Lindar felt them wrap their burly hands around his arms and hoist him up. But he wasn’t about to be thrown out without a way to fix this. He immediately resisted their hold, the clock flaring to match a racing heart. He found the strength to pry himself out of their grasp and address the Sorceress once again.

“No, please! Tell me what I have to do,” Lindar shouted desperately. “Tell me what I have to do to get my heart back! Please…please…”

The soldiers went back to grab the prince, but the Sorceress waved her hands again. They backed away and left Lindar trembling and still cradling his clock-heart. He heard the Sorceress scoff and finally turn to face him. 

“Oh, all right. It’s actually nice to hear you groveling,” the Sorceress huffed. She plastered on a condescending smile and twirled her scepter around as she explained, “The way to break the curse is simple. You must learn to mend your heart by letting yourself love again, and earn true love from another. Then your heart will return to you and you’ll be made whole.”

Simple it sounded, but it wouldn’t be simple, would it? Lindar tried to reply when the Sorceress added, “But…there’s a catch. The love you earn from another must come from a _pure_ heart. Nothing less than that. Good luck finding that, dear prince! And don’t forget not to feel too strongly! That includes _love_ …”

Lindar didn’t resist this time when he was thrown out of the decrepit castle. He didn’t try to fly right away; he felt too weak physically and emotionally. He resigned himself to trudging along the weed-choked stone path against the jeers of the rhino-soldiers. He still kept the clock clutched to his chest and suppressed any tears threatening to come out. He prided himself so much as a prince with great charisma…now he couldn’t call himself that anymore. 

He was without hope. How could he earn someone else’s love? How could he find a pure heart to love him?

How could he love without a heart? 


	2. Chapter 1: Quiet and Unassuming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A dragoness in a small town lives life as someone quiet and unassuming. In fact, so quiet and assuming she's considered an oddity among her peers. Rather than friends or romance, she focuses on caring for her ill uncle. Meanwhile, Tomas the bard warns the young ones through song about an ominous figure called the Clockwork King. None of them know what's about to set in motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now here's the chapter where we're introduced to our other main character (for those who don't know her from my Tumblr). Yukari is a Dream Weaver dragoness character of mine and more info on her can be found on my Tumblr, donnies-toaster-strudel. She's very shy and just about afraid of her own shadow. We also have other characters who will really come into importance later in the story. The next chapter will be when things really ramp up!

Chapter 1: Quiet and Unassuming

Beyond the vast forests and solemn mountains, a humble town nestled itself in a humbler valley. Many dragons and other creatures came here to settle down or perhaps start a new life for themselves. Some even took a vacation there to get away from their troubles. But with all towns, rumors spread fast. Everyone knew just about everyone else’s business, with some details added to increase sensationalism. The only sort of trouble they had was mischief caused by the young ones. Specifically, a purple fledgling and his cheetah friend. For the most part, the residents got along. They always considered their home a quiet and unassuming town.

One such resident they considered the epitome of quiet and unassuming. So much so they were surprised she wasn’t a total recluse.

As the residents went about their day, a figure peeked her head from behind a shop and sighed. A dragoness with pastel-pink scales and pinkish-white curly hair smoothed out the wrinkles in her powder-blue dress and looked again. A few dragons were out purchasing fruits and vegetables and a group of female fauns gossiped about a friend’s dating life. The dragoness didn’t partake in activities like that for two reasons: she didn’t like putting down anyone else and she was too afraid of socializing.

Whenever there was a party in the square or the local tavern, she always stayed home. She always bolted or hid from someone she didn’t know. It always took her uncle to excuse her or gently coax her into getting to know someone. There were very few she called friends. Most other residents considered her ‘strange’ for being so shy and fearful. So she worked to be stealthy while she went to head home.

“Good day, Yukari!”

The dragoness-Yukari-jumped out of her skin at the greeting. Her starry, blue-feathered wings immediately wrapped around her body as she turned to the greeter. As soon as she peeked through, she calmed down and breathed a sigh of relief.

“O-Oh, g-good day, Mr. Gildas,” Yukari nervously greeted back.

A blue dragon with orangish hair stood before her. Hunched over due to age, he wore ruffled clothes spattered with paint. She knew him from dealings he had with her uncle. He even painted a few portraits for them. Only recently did she get comfortable greeting him when they passed each other. When he wasn’t painting, he always offered the younger generations advice. 

Gildas adjusted his glasses and popped his back into place. As soon as Yukari put her wings back, he smiled and asked, “Out by yourself today? Is Lateef still under the weather?”

Yukari averted her eyes, confirming in a soft voice, “Y-Yes. I-I was just out running errands for him. H-His fever’s gone, b-but he’s still weak.”

“I feel for him. Old age doesn’t help when your sick,” Gildas sighed. “If either of you need anything, please don’t hesitate to drag this old dragon over. You two have been great neighbors since I moved here.”

Feeling a sense of reassurance, Yukari smiled sheepishly and nodded her head. “T-Thank you, Mr. Gildas. Um…l-let us know if you need anything, too.”

Not knowing what else to say, Yukari waved Gildas goodbye and scurried through the streets. The sooner she got home, the better. And she had other things she needed to do, too. As she briskly walked away, two dragonesses sat outside the local café and watched her. They caught sight of the group of fauns seeing her and whispering. Just from the snickers, it wasn’t anything nice. The light-red dragoness frowned and resisted giving the fauns a talking to.

“Don’t they have anything better to do than whisper about people?”

The other dragoness, a lilac one with her hair in a bun, daintily sipped from her tea and replied, “Gossip is all-too-common, Cheyloe. It is a shame though that Yukari doesn’t get out much. I’d honestly love to have her sample my dresses and meet my darling!”

“Anna, you know why she doesn’t,” Cheyloe scolded. “Remember the story Lateef told Gavin?”

Anna’s expression became somber and she pursed her lips in to a frown. “Yes…but still, it would do her some good to make at least one friend. One must step out of their comfort zone sometime. She’d look good with a handsome dragon wrapped around her arm.”

Ignoring the chatting of the two dragonesses, Yukari continued through town and avoided contact with the other residents. She brushed past an orange dragon with purple hair, followed by the mayor of the town, Nestor. She gave a quiet hello to a dragon carrying an armful of maps. From a distance, she could hear the town chef yelling at a few children pelting each other with eggs stolen from him. She finally got away from the growing crowd and found the door to her house.

She opened the door and put her basket down on the table. She went in further and called, “U-Uncle Lateef? I-I got the groceries!”

In one of the bedrooms lay a sagely blue dragon with wings to match Yukari’s. He had the covers pulled up to his chest and a soiled handkerchief in his grasp. His ears drooped as a weak cough escaped his throat. His golden eyes opened at the sight of Yukari. In spite of his weakness, Lateef smiled at his niece and patted the edge of the bed.

“I knew you would do fine, sweetheart. You should have more confidence in yourself,” Lateef greeted hoarsely, sitting himself up against the pillows. 

There was a chirp as a pink tapir came trotting into the room. The tapir lovingly nudged Yukari’s leg before trying to climb onto the bed. Lateef chuckled, but Yukari scolded, “No, Muffin. You’re not allowed on the bed.”

She gave Muffin a few pats on the head, then went to soak a rag in warm water and put it on Lateef’s head. He was looking a lot better, but she feared he wouldn’t make it on the first night. She wouldn’t know what to do without him. He was all she had left and vice-versa. But he was a tough old dragon and pulled through. Now it was just a matter of getting his strength back. She wouldn’t rest until her uncle was back to full health.

Lateef, however, frowned and told his niece, “Yukari…stop worrying yourself over me. I’ve still got enough years left. You should go out there and enjoy living your own life. Buy something for yourself, make some friends. Why, maybe you should be open to finding someone…”

Yukari cast her blue eyes away and sighed. How many times did he tell her this again? She knew where it all came from: guilt from being overprotective. Now he wanted her to do the things she missed out on. There was no desire for it, however. She was content just taking care of him and Muffin. She was willing to settle for few friends and no romantic life. Who would want her as a friend or girlfriend, anyway?

She curled a strand of her hair around her finger in apprehension. “U-Uncle Lateef, please…I’m all right. My priority is getting you better. I-I’m okay not having any of that.”

Lateef narrowed his eyes, insisting in a warning tone, “Yukari, don’t make yourself do without. You’ve earned the right to cast your cares aside and do things for yourself.” 

With a pleading tone in his voice after letting loose a cough, he all but begged, “Yukari, at least take it into consideration…please?”

Yukari sighed once again, relenting, “A-All right, I’ll consider it…”

Lateef smiled triumphantly, until Yukari smiled and added, “…after you’re better.”

He sighed loudly and put his face in his hands. Muffin slapped her forehead with her trunk. Yukari simply ignored them and went to fetch a basket nearby. The groceries were done, now came the fun part. She prepped herself to go to the forests and find herbs to bring to the local doctor. Lateef still needed medicine and those herbs were the key. Then once he healed, she’d go back to helping Useni with his teas and herbal remedies.

“I-I’m going to collect herbs for Cheyloe,” Yukari announced. She went to the bedroom door and turned to her uncle, assuring, “I-I’ll try to be back before dark.”

Exasperation over his niece’s attitude gone, Lateef instead smiled and replied, “Just be careful, sweetheart.”

Yukari exited the house and stealthily made her way to the town entrance. She prayed she would find the herbs needed to concoct Lateef’s medicine. At the same time, a small group amassed around the fountain. The older dragons cornered a purple fledgling and his cheetah friend before they could escape. Mayor Nestor, the fledgling’s father-figure, was rather displeased by what they were about to do. A good Samaritan overheard the pair’s plans involving exploring a forbidden part of the forests and alerted the older dragons.

“Spyro, Hunter, you know you’re forbidden from going that deep into the forest,” Nestor reprimanded.

Spyro frowned and narrowed his eyes at the older dragons. He countered, “Oh, come on! It’s not like wolves or vultures live there! What’s so dangerous about the deep forest?”

The map-toting dragon, Lucas, gave Spyro a worried look and blurted out, “Spyro…that’s where the Clockwork King lives!”

“The who?”

Hunter rolled his eyes. “You mean that boogeyman used to make kids behave? We’re not scared of any made-up king!”

The small group suddenly parted when someone else entered the fray. A yellowish dragon clad in the clothes of a bard sauntered up to the young duo. With a lute in his hand and a tug on his beard, the great bard Tomas grinned in amusement at the pair’s disbelief. They did so much to prove they were brave, but they were still kids.

“Goodness, you boys don’t believe in the Clockwork King? And you’re so confident about it, too,” Tomas hummed cheekily. “Then I guess you don’t believe in the disappearances, either.”

Hunter suddenly gulped, “D-Disappearances?”

Spyro roughly nudged the cheetah with his elbow. “Don’t chicken out on me now, Hunter!”

Tomas wasn’t deterred. He kept his grin and boasted, “Well, if you can’t convince them with simple words…perhaps a melody shall suffice!”

Tomas’ fingers began dancing upon his lute strings. What started out as a bright little tune grew more ominous as he played. He gave a wink to Lucas, who snapped his fingers and created a bluish cloud of smoke. The smoke surrounded Spyro and Hunter and a pair of glowing blue eyes manifested. As they stared into the eyes, Tomas began singing.

_“The Clockwork King is the kind of fiend you should never, ever take lightly!_

_So say your prayers, count your blessings, for he’s a sight so very unsightly!_

_He’s here (oh my!),_

_He’s watching (oh heavens!),_

_He waits until your back’s turned!_

_Then once he catches you in your sights, to your family you’ll be unreturned!”_

As Tomas sang, the blue smoke took the silhouette of a demonic-looking dragon. It flashed its fangs to Spyro and Hunter and dived towards them. Hunter screamed and Spyro closed his eyes as the smoke-dragon crashed and created a bigger cloud of smoke. Hunter was already convinced not to leave. Spyro, however…

“Maybe we shouldn’t go in the woods, Spyro,” Hunter panicked.

Spyro rolled his eyes and waved the smoke away, insisting, “Oh, come on, Hunter! This is Tomas! He makes stuff up all the time; it’s what a bard does!”

A pair of hands gripped their shoulders and Tomas appeared between them. Spyro and Hunter both yelped. Tomas only chuckled and innocently asked, “You believe I’m making this up? Oh, but he’s real…I’ve seen the demon face-to-face and lived. Which is why I spread this warning tale to protect reckless boys like you!”

_“Many have ventured to the dreary woods when day is choked by night,_

_But with careless heads and weakened hearts, he catches them in his cold sight!_

_With claws outstretched and a maddening grin, he turns you into a clock,_

_So until the day you turn to dust, it’s nothing but a sorrowed tick, tock, tick, tock…”_

Tomas and the other dragons made the tick-tock noise in unison. The smoke-dragon grinned at another silhouette, that of a smaller dragon. It snuck up behind the small dragon and touched them with its long claws. With a quick poof, the smaller dragon transformed into a sad-looking mantle clock. Now Spyro started to feel uneasy. Hunter nearly wet himself. Tomas and Lucas grinned knowing they were winning.

_“If you want to live, maybe keep your head, remember the song I sing,_

_For those that don’t heed, even after I plead, fall to the Clockwork King!_

_I play this tune because I care, I don’t want you to feel the sting,_

_So I beg you, implore you, please beware of the Clockwork King!_

_Oh, do beware the Clockwork King!”_

As Tomas finished his song, Spyro and Hunter seemed to be convinced not to go into the deep forests. However, none of dragons or other townsfolk noticed Yukari taking off for those very forests. They also failed to noticed the clouds ominously gathering around that area or the rumble of thunder…


	3. Chapter 2: Through the Front Door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Yukari gathers herbs and flowers for Lateef, reminiscence and a violent storm hinder her progress. Fleeing into unknown parts of the woods, she comes across a secluded, seemingly-abandoned castle. She goes inside for shelter without knowing that she isn't the only occupant there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is probably my longest chapter so far, but it'll be worth it! I was hoping to update sooner, but I've just had a few things going on in real life. In the meantime, I've been taking some time to work on some sketches for the story that I'll have on my Tumblr and dA. I'll also try to update quicker and get to writing and focusing on it. Thank you for the kudos and comments left so far!

Chapter 2: Through the Front Door

The air grew humid as Yukari glided through the midday skies. She paid no mind; her only focus was scanning the trees below for the perfect spot. She normally never travelled to the forests alone, always going with Lateef or Useni. But with one sick and the other busy, this was something to do alone. At least she didn’t have to worry about being surrounded by people. If Lateef wasn’t sick, she’d take advantage of going just to enjoy the peace and quiet. Maybe come up with plans for building a woodland cottage.

Her blue eyes scanned the trees below and she found her spot. With a strong flap of her feathered wings, she glided down and landed in a small glade. She found numerous wildflowers and, to her luck, a few pungent herbs when she knelt down and sniffed. A basket was readied to house the flowers and herbs she proceeded to pick. Enough of these and her uncle would be better in no time! Then perhaps they could come to this glade for a picnic. A giggle escaped her muzzle as she thought of Muffin munching on the wildflowers.

As Yukari placed freshly-plucked purple coneflowers in her basket, her mind began to wander. She looked to the trees bordering the glade as nostalgia crept in. There were sudden memories of easier-happier-days. She could almost see her younger self running through the glade chasing butterflies while her parents watched. Hearing her father lay out plans for their woodland cottage. Her mother would speak of what kind of garden or how many sheep they’d have. Such wonderful days. And then…

Yukari gasped and put her hand to her head. A glance at her arm revealed her pastel-pink scales were almost ashen. The trees surrounding the glade…that area looked so much like where they were on that day. She could still remember what the bushes looked like. And what her parents were dressed in. And that wicked laughter-

The area suddenly grew dark, to her confusion. Then she went rigid at the sound of thunder.

Yukari briskly finished picking herbs and wildflowers and prepped herself to fly back. A single drip on her snout stopped her. Soon, she found herself being pelted by cascading raindrops, prompting her to pull her hood over her head. She immediately ran to the nearby trees for shelter, praying this rain would end soon. Feathers and prolonged exposure to rain didn’t mix.

_‘I need to get back, or Uncle Lateef and Muffin will worry. Maybe the rain showers will let up any minute-‘_

Yukari’s thoughts ceased when a violent flash of lightning rocketed through the dark skies. Whenever there was a storm this bad, she always had a warm bed and covers to hide under. She got to be _indoors_. She was out in the wilderness with no shelter, no bed, and no covers to hide under. Adrenaline coursed through her veins and fear overrode rational thought as she let out a piercing scream. She dropped her basket and took off flying, but instead of flying back to town, she flew through the trees in the opposite direction. 

The further she flew into the unknown part of the woods, the harder the rain came down. The flashes of lightning projected contorted images on the trees that looked like screaming faces. Yukari instinctively closed her eyes and prayed this was a nightmare. Her closed eyes proved her undoing as she opened them and saw a cluster of tangled branches. She crashed into them right as she tried to halt to a stop and felt the sting of twigs and thorns. With a ‘plop’, she landed in the wet grass below. 

Yukari cried out in pain and forced herself to get to her knees, brushing the bits of twigs and branches out of her face and hair. There were a few scratches on her snout soothed by the cold rain, but it did nothing to dampen her humiliation. As she collected herself and got further soaked, she suddenly noticed what she knelt over. 

There were stones huddled together with grass sticking out in-between. It wasn’t ordinary stone, either. It was polished, albeit worn, a lot like the stone Nestor used to rebuild the paths in town. Yukari’s eyes trailed to more stones forming together into a path, then an old gate. Then she found what the path led to and what the gate guarded.

A large castle.

The storm raging on didn’t help the castle look less foreboding. Brambles and dead bushes surrounded the front walls and the gate. Ivy slowly overtook the stone, spindling around the windows and sills. Moss began forming on nearby stone statues and banners hanging on the castle were nothing but tatters. All were signs that this castle had to be abandoned. How long it had been abandoned was uncertain, but no one in town mentioned a castle here.

Yukari gulped and contemplated her options. She could either stand out here in fear and freeze to death, or she could take a chance and dry off in this abandoned castle. Obviously, she wasn’t going to stand and risk getting struck by lightning. She flattened her wings against her body and ran to the gate, pushing it open with a loud creak. She ran up to the door and, out of instinct, knocked on the castle doors. It was abandoned; no one would answer, would they?

The large double doors opened like a gaping maw and beckoned Yukari inside. The darkness inside made her rethink her plan and she took a step back. What if this castle was haunted by demonic spirits? Or what if there was a mad hunter hiding inside, waiting for vulnerable prey? Before she could turn back, another violent flash of lightning made her scream and dash inside the castle. In her panic, her tail slammed into a fancy table and knocked it and an old mantle clock to the floor with an echoing ‘thud’.

The noise echoed throughout the castle, reaching the upper floors through hidden pipes built for the purpose of eavesdropping. It made its way into a large room and reached something slumbering inside. A pair of blue eyes snapped open as something awakened. Something-someone-was in his home.

Yukari, meanwhile, noticed the doors still open and the fallen items. With a small whimper, she hurriedly closed the doors and put the items back in their places. She shook the water off her clothes and hair and desperately looked for warmth. A noise hit her ears and she looked to the walls in the foyer. Decorating them were multitudes of ticking clocks. Pendulum clocks, cuckoo clocks, even an elegant-looking grandfather clock. Yukari already found one she liked: a clock resembling an old-timey cottage with flowers. Almost hypnotized by its swinging pendulum, she traced her finger along the face of the grandfather clock.

_‘Clocks…what was it I heard concerning clocks?’_

An orange glow caught her attention farther inside. It was the glow of a fireplace burning brightly. She was relieved, but then she was horrified. Someone lived here. She just broke into someone’s home! But surely the owner would take pity on a dragoness lost and scared and soaking wet, wouldn’t they?

“U-Um…h-hello? I-I-I mean no harm,” Yukari greeted in a hushed voice. “I-I-I just got lost in the s-storm, a-and I wondered if I could, um, s-stay until it c-calms down…”

Unfortunately, she spoke too quietly; even a mouse was louder. But she didn’t feel like searching for the owner to explain herself. Right now, she just wanted to get warm and wait out the storm. She drew closer to the fireplace, unaware of something watching her. On the upper level of stairs, something with piercing blue eyes leaned over and watched the intruder strutting through his home unannounced. He wasn’t about to let the little mouse get away with that. It was time to confront her.

Yukari sighed in relief when she found a large, very warm fireplace. She ignored a pair of armchairs nearby and simply plopped herself onto the rug. She closed her eyes and curled herself into a ball, tempted to fall asleep basking in the fire’s warmth. But she wouldn’t allow that; she needed to get home to her family. She pulled her knees closer to her chest and kept her eyes closed.

Lost in the warmth, she was unaware of what approached her. It treaded the floor so quietly she didn’t detect it. But as it got closer, a shiver went up her spine and her feathers stood on-end. She played it all up to her paranoia until she heard someone clear their throat. Yukari immediately froze and wore a horrified expression, her ears flattening against her head. Everything inside her told her not to turn around…but she turned around and faced it. Or rather, him.

A light-blue dragon stood towering over her. Unkempt blonde hair hung over his eyes and shoulders, but didn’t hide how his blue eyes pierced through her. Mustache and beard-like feelers twitched as he stared down at her. His face and his hands looked almost-skeletal, the rest of his body hidden by a stained shirt, pants, and housecoat. His tail swayed slowly and his lips curled into a deep frown at the sight of her. The flash of lightning from the nearby windows did well to accent the bags under his eyes and the ashen look of his scales.

The frightening dragon opened his mouth, asking in a low growl, “Are you aware that this isn’t your castle?”

Yukari opened her mouth and let out an ear-piercing scream.

Not seeing the frightening dragon startled by her scream, Yukari unfurled her wings and bolted for the exit. Once again, she closed her eyes in fear and failed to see what was in front of her. This time, it was the grandfather clock. And she opened her eyes too late when she collided with the massive clock. Time slowed down as it fell and it greeted the floor in a mess of metal, glass, and wood.

She stood staring wide-eyed at the mess. Then she clamped her hands over her snout and suppressed a loud scream. The sound of footsteps alerted her and she immediately ran for a hiding spot. Up the stairs? Behind a curtain? Yes, that would work! Her eyes scanned and found long, royal-blue curtains covering a large window. She immediately dove behind them, standing on the window sill to hide her feet. She did her best to steady her breathing and keep quiet, but the sound of footsteps drawing closer didn’t make it easy. _‘Don’t find me, don’t find me, don’t find me-‘_

A set of claws poked through the curtains and pulled them back to reveal the frightening dragon. He stared up at the timid dragoness, wearing a ‘really?’ expression on his face. Yukari finally conceded she was in trouble and slinked out of the window, curling into a ball and wrapping her wings around herself. The frightening dragon soon looked over to the shattered grandfather clock and tsked over the mess. He couldn’t let this go. No, this little dragoness had to face the consequences of destruction of property.

“Oh dear…I hope you don’t intend on leaving me with this mess,” he spoke darkly, without emotion. “That could’ve been some poor little dragon’s grandfather.”

Yukari parted her wings slightly so her eyes could peer out. She found the courage to look at this dragon and shakily ask, “W-Who…w-wh-who a-are y-you?”

Wait…did she never hear the stories? She never heard of him? He shook his surprise off and brought his coldness back. He stalked towards a window on the opposite end of the room and chuckled darkly. Time to really send a chill through her bones.

“You don’t know who I am? Well, I’ll tell you who I am,” he answered, a cold grin on his face. “I’m what makes the little hatchlings behave themselves before bedtime. I’m what keeps dragons like you up all night in fear. I strike terror in those who dare trespass in my domain.”

He spread his arms and wings out, the flash of lightning outside adding to the fright. His blue eyes almost glowed in the foreboding castle. 

“I am Lindar…the Clockwork King.”


	4. Chapter 3: Sealed With A Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Clockwork King has Yukari caught in his web. He offers her a deal: work off the damaged clock or become a clock herself. Yukari, fearing for the safety of her family, takes his deal and gives him her word. Meanwhile, Lateef is concerned for his niece and attempts to brave the storms to find her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for not updating sooner! I've been getting answers to my recent health issues and I've just been busy, busy, busy! I hope everyone's ready for the latest update and for the growing drama! I've been replaying Spyro Reignited Trilogy and that's been helping me get some motivation back. Once again, thank you again for the hits, kudos', and comments!

Chapter 3: Sealed with A Promise

Of all the things that could happen tonight, he had to have someone intrude in his castle. And not just anyone: a dragoness literally shaking out of her scales. 

There hadn’t been a visitor in the castle in over three years. Three years Lindar spent stewing, growing bitter, facing his predicament alone. He had gotten so used to being alone that he preferred it. Anyone who intruded on his desire for isolation paid the consequences. Now the way of life he grew accustomed to had a wrench thrown in it. This pink dragoness, shaking like a leaf with scared blue eyes, broke into his home and destroyed something of his. He wasn’t about to let this go. Time to live up to his namesake.

Lindar waltzed his way over to the numerous clocks on the walls and shelves. His visitor didn’t dare take her eyes off him. A calculating grin spread on his lips as his claws scraped the surface of a pendulum clock with a shield carved into it.

“This one right here…I believe this was once a noble knight,” he purred. His claws soon glided over a small wind-up clock showing signs of age. “This one was a little dragon lost in the forest.”

Yukari’s eyes widened in horror when he went to the cottage clock. Lindar concluded she paid special attention to this one. His claws slowly scraped the side, his voice eerie as he spoke, “And this one? This was a sweet ol’ grandma. All of them were just like you…snooping around where they didn’t belong. With a snap of my fingers…”

He snapped his fingers, making the dragoness squeak. “…they became part of my growing collection. And now I’m going to find the perfect spot just for you.”

Yukari wrapped her arms around herself. “O-Oh, no…”

“Oh, _yes_ ,” Lindar chuckled.

The terror inside Yukari finally reached a boiling point. She had to think of something fast, or she would become a victim of this Clockwork King. She didn’t want to be turned into a clock for eternity! Surely there was some way to convince him to spare her. He couldn’t be totally cold-hearted, could he? Perhaps some old-fashioned groveling would persuade him to let her go back to her family.

Literally laying on the floor at his feet, Yukari wrapped her wings and her tail around herself. She didn’t dare look at him as she begged, “I-I’m sorry, I-I’m sorry! I-I didn’t mean to b-break your clock! P-Please, let me live! I-I just wanted s-shelter from the s-storm! I-I’ll work it off or help you fix it-“

“Enough.”

Yukari stopped mid-speech and froze in place. The Clockwork King massaged his temples with a sigh. There was a familiar pain spreading through his chest, prompting him to let out a faint hiss and narrow his eyes. He couldn’t let himself get too irritated. Or guilty. He had to keep his composure or there wouldn’t be a Clockwork King to fear. He had to focus on what to do about this dragoness without making her die of fright.

An idea came to him. He didn’t know why it popped into his head, but something told him to take a chance with it. Instead of turning this dragoness into a clock, he decided on a new approach. It started with him walking back to her, avoiding the mess of the broken grandfather clock. With her backed against the wall, he knelt forward and took her chin with one of his claws.

“Tell you what…since you insist on begging, I’m going to make a deal with you.”

Yukari gulped, “D-Deal?”

Lindar let go of her chin and stood straight. He crossed his arms behind his back and began pacing before her. His voice unemotional, he explained, “I won’t turn you into a clock for my collection. However, to be forgiven for what you’ve done, you’ll have to stay in my castle and work off the damages. That clock wasn’t cheap, after all.”

“M-Meaning…”

“Meaning you will stay in this castle until I see fit,” Lindar clarified. “If you accept, as I said, I won’t turn you into a clock. If you refuse or try to run…well, I think you know what happens.”

Neither option was pleasant, to say the least. She didn’t know exactly how long she would have to stay should she accept working off the damages. She found herself protesting, “B-But, I-I have a family waiting for me! I-I can’t leave them behind!”

Lindar narrowed his eyes and countered, “Well, you should’ve thought of that before breaking into my home and breaking my clock. Do you want me to turn them into clocks instead?”

That stunned Yukari into silence. Now she weighed her options. Either stay here for possibly years, work off the damages, therefore sparing herself and her uncle and pet from being clocks…or try to run and risk all of them becoming clocks. The Clockwork King did have a point; she did severe damage to the clock, and it wouldn’t be fair to leave it like that. She mentally slapped herself for agreeing with him. But as she thought more on it, the more she wanted to keep Uncle Lateef and Muffin safe. If it meant keeping them safe, she would gladly put herself on the sacrificial offer.

“Well?” Lindar asked impatiently.

Taking a deep breath and steadying her racing heart, Yukari decided, “I-I…o-okay. I-I promise to work off the d-damages.” 

Yukari looked him in the eyes, adding in a clearer voice, “A-And I never break my promises, Clockwork King.”

Lindar’s eyes widened slightly at her words. He searched her eyes for any sort of deception, but he found nothing. Not a trace. There were some dragons that were just that good at hiding deception, though. They always said they didn’t break their promises. They said that to make you let your guard down so they could stab you in the back. He didn’t fully trust her promise as a result. He would keep a close eye on her and see if that ‘promise’ upheld.

“Wise decision, Miss…uh,” Lindar muttered. Not wanting to look like a fool, he asked, “What is your name?”

“U-Um…m-my name is Yukari.”

“Yukari…that’s not a bad name,” Lindar muttered.

Yukari tilted her head to the side. “I-I’m sorry?”

“Nothing. Now then,” Lindar motioned her towards the set of large stairs, “I may as well show you to your room.”

Her room? She was getting her own room after all this? Yukari raised an eyebrow and asked, “Y-You’re not sending me to the dungeon?”

Lindar deadpanned, “I can if you want me to.”

“NO!”

Yukari’s sudden shout echoed throughout the castle foyer and beyond. She covered her mouth and sheepishly glanced at Lindar, who wore an unimpressed expression. Not wanting to land herself in deeper trouble and go to the dungeon for real, she corrected, “I-I mean, no.”

Lindar waited for the pink dragoness to get to her feet before he started for the stairs. He nonchalantly stated, “Then follow me. And don’t touch the clock debris. I…don’t want you to cut your feet on the glass.”

Yukari quieted herself before she made anymore outbursts for the evening. She resigned herself to her fate and followed the Clockwork King to whatever room he chose for her. She truly didn’t know if he was making her a prisoner or a guest in his home. But if it all meant she could eventually go home, she would stay here. She would rather something happen to her than her family, no matter how frightening it was.

She wondered how Lateef and Muffin were holding up.

* * *

The rain came down hard in town. All the outdoor vendors closed shop and bolted for their homes, some groaning about soaked food and clothes. The gossipers moved their prattle from the outdoor café to the dry tavern nearby. The children were pulled inside before they could catch a dreadful cold. The townsfolk resigned themselves to staying in and passing the evening by watching the rain from their windows.

Lateef just found himself growing more and more worried.

He saw how horrible the storm was and knew Yukari hated storms. But he waited and she still wasn’t home. He knew his niece enough to know that she would’ve come home the moment the storm hit. He should’ve known the clouds were gathering up; he should’ve made her stay inside. As sick as he was, he forced himself out of bed and stood staring outside the window. There was still no sign of her.

He felt Muffin nudge his leg with concern, prompting him to look at her. He could feel worry radiating off the tapir’s face. He muttered, “Yukari should’ve been home by now. Muffin, I’m afraid she might’ve gotten caught in the storm.”

He needed to stay indoors and recover from his sickness. But the desire to find his niece overwhelmed Lateef. He immediately went to the front door and Muffin grabbed him by the tail. His strength outweighed hers and she helplessly stayed behind while he dashed out into the rain. His scales and hair were pelleted by the cascading rain and his clothes became soaked. His soaked clothes and the cold caused him to cough violently. But he wasn’t going to let sickness stop him from finding his niece. He wasn’t about to lose her like he lost her parents…

“Yukari!?” Lateef bolted towards the town gates, shouting again, “Yukari, where are you!?”

As Lateef ran to the gates, he was stopped. An orange-ish dragon with a purple mane and beard halted him from going farther. Lateef tried to get out of his grasp, but more violent coughs wracked his body and his knees began to buckle.

“Lateef, you don’t need to be out! You’re sick,” Titan scolded.

“But,” Lateef coughed and hacked, “but Yukari is still out there! I need to find her!”

Titan immediately led the sagely dragon back to his house. He understood the older dragon’s fears, but he wouldn’t be doing his niece any favors if he died in the process of looking for her. He sighed, “We’ll have to wait for the storm to let up, Lateef. Then we can all go and search for her.”

Lateef knew most would see him as overreacting, but they didn’t know Yukari like he did. He truly believed that either she took shelter from the storm…or she was in terrible danger.

* * *

“All right, I’m going to lay down some ground rules. It’ll be in your best interest to listen.”

Yukari looked up at Lindar before her mind could wander farther. They were down a hallway on the third floor of the castle, passing by several wooden doors. She quietly wondered how many bedrooms and other sorts of rooms this castle had. She also wondered if there were others in the castle that weren’t clocks. So far, no other signs of life except the Clockwork King. He walked in front of her carrying a lit lantern as he led her to what would be her room. She decided not to question him on other residents and just let him give out the rules.

“The first rule is, of course, you don’t leave the castle grounds unless I say so. I shouldn’t have to explain more on that,” Lindar lectured quietly. “The second rule is to not go into the basement part of the castle. That’s an area I like to keep private and that’s where the dungeon’s located. The third rule, and the most important, is to never go to the master chamber of the western wing. Other than that, you can have access to the rest of the castle if you wish.”

Yukari suddenly became curious over these forbidden areas. She cautiously asked, “W-Why are they forbidden?”

Lindar glanced at her, sighing, “They just are. I don’t feel like delving into the details.”

They finally stopped in front of a set of double-doors. Lindar calmly opened them up and allowed the dragoness to peer inside. Yukari withheld a gasp at the setup of the room.

A large canopy bed sat against the right wall of the room. There were two large windows with large curtains drawn to block out the sun. A large wardrobe sat against the left wall of the room along with a fancy vanity. It almost looked like a room fit for a princess. Yukari couldn’t understand why he gave her a room like this.

“I-I, um…t-thank you,” Yukari stuttered.

Lindar averted his blue eyes, not expecting her to thank him. After his surprise wore off, he allowed her to step inside before placing his hands on the doors. He cleared his throat and stated, “Well, just get yourself accustomed to your room. You’ll start working first thing in the morning. So…get some rest and remember the rules.”

Before Yukari could question him further, he shut the doors and his footsteps disappeared down the hall. That left her staring at the room and wondering what to do next. In some ways, she wanted to cry knowing she was away from her family. How did she know the Clockwork King would keep his word? She’d rather be with Uncle Lateef and Muffin! She just wanted to curl up into a ball on the floor and cry.

In other ways, she was too stunned for words. The Clockwork King gave her a fancy room and gave her just a few rules to follow. No being locked up in a dungeon, no being served bread and water, none of that. Was he trying to make her feel comfortable in this situation? Could she even trust him to do that? Whatever his motives were for giving her this fancy room, she just knew she’d get her work done as quickly and orderly as possible so she could go home.

She just wished she had a way to tell Lateef…

Swallowing back tears, Yukari knew she had a lot to do tomorrow. She decided to look through this wardrobe and see if there was a nightgown to wear to bed.


	5. Chapter 4: A Chip in the Shield

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukari starts her first day with the Clockwork King doing what she can to ensure she doesn't meet a grisly fate. Lindar, meanwhile, tries his best to not scare his guest too much. A search party starts looking for Yukari, turning up with little clues. The Sorceress discovers Lindar has a guest and takes special interest in her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in updating! First off, I wanted to announce that I'm no longer on Tumblr. For personal reasons, I felt like it was time for me to get away from that place. So I no longer have an account there. But the good news is I've got most of my drabbles saved, so I'll be bringing them here bit-by-bit! And you can still find me on deviantART under agi-nekonin! Anyway, we've got Lindar and Yukari sitting down for breakfast, a search party, and our villain comes back into play along with another favorite character! Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 4: A Chip in the Shield

The light of the morning sun filtered through the cracks in the bedroom curtains. It shone upon Yukari’s face and forced her out of slumber. Before she opened her eyes, she expected to awaken in her bedroom. Muffin would be there to nudge her hand or pull the bed covers down so she would get her breakfast. Uncle Lateef would greet her when Muffin’s methodology didn’t work and gently wake her up. She just expected to be home when she opened her eyes.

Instead, Yukari woke up and realized this wasn’t a dream. She was still laying in the canopy bed in the Clockwork King’s castle.

A sigh of resignation exited her lungs. Once again, she wanted to cry over her situation. But she had to get up and get ready for whatever jobs awaited her. As long as she completed them, she would win her freedom. She slid out of bed and fluffed her wings and wiped the sleep out of her eyes. A trip to the wardrobe and she slipped out of her nightgown. Instead of the dress she wore the previous evening, she found a simple, mint-colored dress that seemed to fit her. Now all she needed was an apron. 

Maybe there would be one in the kitchen…if she could find the kitchen, that is. She didn’t know where the Clockwork King was right now, but she didn’t want to risk angering him by going into forbidden territory. Yukari decided to settle on trial-and-error and find it. With a sigh and her hair back in a ponytail, she went to the door to start the day.

There was a knock and the door immediately opened for her. Sure enough, there was the king in question peeking his head inside the door. Yukari immediately froze in place and locked eyes with him. Her crystal-blue met his sky-blue, searching for any sort of warmth. She found only a strong shield of ice hiding something. Whatever was in his cold eyes, the shield did its job well. 

“I was just checking to see if you were up,” Lindar addressed nonchalantly.

Yukari cast her eyes to the floor, twiddling her thumbs and mumbling, “I-I was j-just getting dressed a-and going to look f-for an apron.”

Lindar looked her over and studied her outfit of choice. The dress she had on immediately sent a sharp pain through him, causing him to grit his teeth and narrow his eyes to hide his turmoil. It was a dress his mother received from the castle seamstress. Yukari-yes, that was her name-didn’t seem to care it was made more for an older dragoness. Was she brought here just to bring him torment? He didn’t know. He needed to forget about it and have her get to work.

“There should be a spare apron in the kitchen; I’ll show you where it is,” Lindar explained, the tone of his voice not changing in the slightest. “Speaking of the kitchen…your first duty this morning is to cook breakfast.”

Yukari blinked once, and she asked, “Y-You d-don’t have any c-cooks?”

Lindar frowned, lightly snapping, “Obviously, I don’t. If I did, I wouldn’t have bothered making you work off the clock.”

He calmed himself down; he didn’t want her crying on him. He sighed quietly and corrected himself, “Apologies…no, I don’t. Rest assured, I’ve got ingredients you might need. And if you’re going to start your work, you’ll need energy. You’ll keel over in no time if you go hungry…so fix plenty for yourself, too.”

This took Yukari by surprise. While she didn’t mind doing a task like cooking, she didn’t expect him to want her to partake in the spoils as well. Maybe he wasn’t as cruel as he put himself out to be. Or maybe he wanted her to let her guard down so he’d trick her and turn her into one of his ticking clocks. She couldn’t let her guard down…she’d just comply and get her work done. And because she slept without supper, there was an audible growl emanating from her stomach.

Lindar fought not to chuckle. He cleared his throat and stepped aside, instructing, “Follow me to the kitchen, please.”

And so she did. Yukari wordlessly followed the Clockwork King to the kitchen. The cabinets, counters, even the sink had a noticeable layer of dust. She wondered if he even did his own cooking or just scrounged up what he could. Yet a bin of fruit remained untouched by the dust; it actually looked very fresh. There were even fresh eggs nearby and nicely-preserved meat. If he didn’t have any staff, how did he get his food?

“Now then,” Lindar cut into her thoughts, “the apron’s hanging by the door. I don’t care what you fix, really, just as long as it’s edible. After breakfast, we’ll get to the real work to be done.”

_‘Oh, goody…’_

Yukari didn’t voice this aloud. Instead, she gave a small bow of respect and answered, “I-I’ll get to work r-right away. I-I’ll let you know wh-when it’s ready.”

Lindar found himself put-off by her overly-polite attitude. It made him start feeling things he didn’t want to; things that hurt. He only cleared his throat and affirmed, “Very well. I’ll be nearby, but don’t take too long.”

Before Yukari could inquire on pots and pans, Lindar abruptly left the kitchen as though his tail was on fire. That left her alone, staring at everything unfamiliar in this kitchen. A smaller kitchen-like back home-made things easier to find. This large kitchen built for multiple cooks made things difficult. She would give the Clockwork King credit; he provided her with ingredients needed for a hearty breakfast. Now she just had to get to work. Maybe a breakfast of eggs and mixed fruits and a bit of meat would satisfy him…

“A-All right, Yukari…time to get to work.”

Yukari immediately put the apron on and began her duties.

* * *

Lindar stared up at the ceiling and found his impatience growing. He didn’t know how long it took her to cook breakfast. The rational side of him knew he’d only been waiting fifteen minutes. His growling stomach and growling throat didn’t care. 

He lied when he said he’d be nearby. He immediately retired to his room and simply lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. He found himself picking at his shirt, right above the accursed hole in his chest. Why did he decide to let Yukari stay here? He should’ve just done more to scare her off. He didn’t need anybody here with him. He’d already given up all hope of being himself again. What possessed him to listen to the voice in his head telling him to make the deal?

His stomach growled once again. Lindar shoved himself off the bed and glanced toward a table near the balcony doors. There was a glass dome, housing the most important clock in the castle, and what looked like a pocket watch. He got up from bed and grabbed the pocket watch, clicking it open. Apart from the clock face, it also housed a mirror in the top shell. He took a deep breath, twitching his whiskers, and stared at his own face in the mirror.

“Show me Yukari,” he addressed.

Lindar’s reflection warped in heed of his command. The mirror projected an image of Yukari and the kitchen, prompting him to watch closely. She stood over the oven and wiped her brow over a hot pan of eggs and meat. His curiosity grew when he saw her procure some cream and mix it with some chopped fruit. Fruit and cream actually sounded very delicious as of now. It looked like she was finishing up, too. Time to go down before she realized he wasn’t nearby after all. 

_“Whew…I-I hope he likes this. I-If he doesn’t, I-I’m as good as a clock.”_

Lindar sucked his fangs and sighed. If she only knew the truth. But he couldn’t tell her the whole truth.

He decided to hurry down and made it just as she found plates to put breakfast on. The way he quietly slinked into the kitchen gave Yukari a jolt as she noticed his presence. She dearly wanted to scold him, but she was too scared and too hungry to do so. That and the ice radiating from his eyes chilled her into her usual politeness. 

“U-U-Um, b-breakfast is r-ready!”

Lindar looked between her and the prepared food. Despite his conscience telling him not to, he sighed through his nostrils and muttered, “Stop acting so scared all the time. It gets old.”

Yukari again cast her eyes down. She quietly stepped out of his way and allowed him to get his portion first. Lindar hesitated, but went ahead and grabbed a plate. As he made his way to the dining hall, he glanced towards the dragoness and asked, “…You do know you can join me, don’t you?”

Yukari raised her head up at this. “J-Join you? Y-You’re not sending me to my room?”

“Do you want me to?” Lindar asked sarcastically.

“N-No, no…”

Lindar rolled his eyes and motioned her to follow him. He led her to an opulent dining room with large curtains decorating the larger windows. There was a view of the bramble-and-weed-filled courtyard and the moss-covered statues. The morning sun did enough to illuminate the room and cast a faint sparkle on the dust-covered table and candelabras. Only one of the chairs looked to have been used recently, which was the one Lindar seated himself in. 

Yukari remembered from the parties Lateef went to that it was polite to sit at the opposite end of the table. True, it was a very long table, but she still sat at the opposite end. She hoped breakfast would be quick and quiet. Yet she studied the Clockwork King steadily starting to eat. Just the look of his frame gave her the impression that he skipped many meals. Did he even know how to cook? She watched him take a bite every other glance and she saw it. She saw the surprise in his face.

Lindar couldn’t remember the last time he had an edible breakfast. His meals often consisted of a few scraps of food; enough to sustain him for a while. His appearance fitted with his activities, though that wasn’t the only reason. But he sat taking in the taste of the eggs, how tender the meat was, and the natural sweetness of the fruit and cream. Yukari wasn’t a bad cook, for someone so skittish. Perhaps he didn’t make a mistake, after all.

“This is…actually delicious,” Lindar complimented, surprise filtering into his voice. “Thank you for fixing this.”

Yukari wore her own look of surprise, prompting her to truly look at him and clearly reply, “You’re welcome.”

But he put his cold shield up once again, not noticing the chip he had in it. He cleared his throat again and addressed, “Well, after you’ve fueled up, I’ll need you to clean around the first floor of the castle. You can start cleaning up the remains of the grandfather clock.”

Yukari’s face fell and she gulped. “O-Oh, I-I almost forgot about that…”

Lindar decided to be playful. He gave her a sly grin and leaned over the table, strands of his blonde hair falling into his eyes. He hummed, “Remember, clean up well…or you’ll be ticking and tocking.”

Yukari’s response was to eat quickly, much to the exasperation and amusement of Lindar.

* * *

Out in the forests, voices rang out in the morning air. A small group of dragons flew through the skies and shouted down at the sea of trees below. At the behest of Lateef, Titan called up a small group of their fellow dragons to form a search party. They were already an hour in trying to locate Yukari and bring her home. So far, their search bore no fruit.

That is until Lucas shouted, “Look, down in the glade!”

Titan, Lucas, a muscular green dragon with red hair, and a bluish dragon with a mustache and tattoos dove down into the glade and went to whatever Lucas identified. Was it Yukari? 

To their disappointment, it wasn’t Yukari. Instead, what they found filled them with dread. The bluish dragon picked an abandoned basket with several wilting herbs and flowers in it. The green dragon stared at it and gasped in horror; he knew that basket anywhere.

“Useni, you said she carried a basket like this?” The blue dragon asked.

Useni nodded, “That’s it, Gavin. That’s Yukari’s herb basket. She always takes it when going to the glades.”

Titan rested his face in his palm and sighed forcibly. A basket, but no owner. And with how vast the forests were, it would take them forever to find Yukari. What were they going to tell Lateef? How could they come back to him without his niece?

“Titan…do you think Yukari was taken by the Clockwork King?” Lucas asked.

Gavin shot Lucas an odd look and resisted rolling his eyes. “You actually believe in that, Lucas? I mean…it was probably a group of bandits or some out-of-towners that could’ve done this.”

Useni paid heed to the hesitation and diversion in Gavin’s tone. Titan, meanwhile, pinched between his brows and took a deep breath. He didn’t want to think of the possibility that this boogeyman took Yukari. There was also…no, it couldn’t be. He had to keep hope that Yukari was all right and just hiding somewhere. For Lateef’s sake and for the townsfolk’s sake. They had to look just a little while longer.

“Let’s just keep looking,” Titan huffed. “We’ll find where she is. Bandits or some boogeyman won’t stop us.”

* * *

In the darker regions of the vast forests, the decrepit palace of the Sorceress wasn’t given the kiss of the morning sun. The clouds remained, not that it bothered the soldiers or the Sorceress herself. There was one resident, however, who grew tired of the darkness and gloom that was only forgotten by the Sorceress’ gaudy attire. 

A young rabbit, entering her late teens, tried to keep her mind occupied with one of the many books in the castle. It wasn’t just any book, however. She stuck her nose in one of many spell books she spent day and night studying. It was a year ago that she sought out the Sorceress, not to have someone eliminated or to heal an ailment. In actuality, she wanted to learn the art of magic as well. After much begging-or rather, pestering-the Sorceress relented and made her an apprentice. 

Or rather, she made her more-or-less an errand girl.

She came across the Sorceress as she sat on her throne, the latter calling out, “Bianca, get your nose out of that book and watch where you step.”

Bianca mumbled an apology and closed the book. Only then did she notice the dull gaze in her mistress’ eyes. That meant only one thing. “Your Highness…you seem, well, bored.”

“Hm, I suppose you’re right. It gets hard to pass the time around here these days,” the Sorceress answered nonchalantly. She glanced towards a glass orb near the throne and muttered, “I guess I could see what’s become of that snotty prince.”

The Sorceress waved her hand over the orb, prompting mist to swirl around in it and form a picture. Bianca watched in awe over the spell and image forming inside. She learned the Sorceress would sometimes check in on those she ‘helped’, so to speak. The image completed and the Sorceress expected to see Lindar groveling…or dead. Instead, as the image of the castle foyer came into view, she saw someone else. Someone she didn’t recognize. Someone _pink_.

She watched the figure sweeping up bits of glass and wood with a broom, a feather duster tucked into her apron. The Sorceress narrowed her eyes and exclaimed, “He waits three years and finally hires a maid?”

Bianca stepped closer, to the Sorceress’ annoyance. She studied the figure looking down and sighing over the bits of glass. Another figure, one in blue, came into view and checked on the clean carpet. There seemed to be casual conversation between them, prompting Bianca to interject, “Your Highness…I don’t think she’s a maid. Do you think she’s living with the prince?”

The Sorceress didn’t answer right away. She could feel the magic auras around the two figures. Lindar’s was weak, thanks to losing his heart. The stranger…now she had a strong aura. A very pure aura. A small grin formed on the Sorceress’ lips as her eyes were glued to the stranger.

“Perhaps. Whoever she is, she certainly has a very pure air around her. Maybe even a pure heart,” she chuckled softly. “We’ll definitely have to keep an eye on them.”


	6. Chapter 5: Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukari has been in the presence of the Clockwork King for almost a week, still living in fear of him. But when a nightmare comes to rob her of peace, she starts seeing a side of him she never saw before. Lindar is surprised that he's allowed himself to let his guard down. Meanwhile, Muffin decides that something needs to be done to bring Yukari home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a little block with this one, but I've finally finished it! I won't give too much away, but I'll say Lindar and Yukari finally have a moment to bond with each other. I'll also say things will get intense with the next chapter, so be looking forward to that! Things have been so busy lately, but thanks for all your patience!

Chapter 5: Nightmare

“Um…m-may I move you for a moment…p-please?”

Lindar looked up from his book and saw Yukari staring at him. In one hand was a feather duster, which seemed to draw closer to the ottoman he rested his feet on. With a deep sigh, he lazily lifted his feet and allowed her to clean off any accumulated dust and dirt on the cloth surface.

He couldn’t really say he was reading. He read this book fifty or more times already and he now called simply staring at a page for a moment ‘reading’. It was one of the few times he sat in front of the fireplace for time to himself; when he didn’t seclude himself in the basement area or his room. The warmth of the fire did wonders for his thin body and gave him security. Too bad he forgot about his ever-working houseguest. She hadn’t been here a full week and she already cut into his losing himself in his thoughts.

His blue eyes dull and his mouth drooping into a frown, he muttered, “Do you need to clean my chair, too?”

Yukari shook her head and rubbed her eyes, yawning, “N-No…no, I-I cleaned it earlier…”

Now that he looked at it, the fireplace room and the entire first floor of the castle looked spotless. He couldn’t say he didn’t appreciate the meals she cooked, either. Still, Lindar didn’t feel much for Yukari. He wasn’t exactly eager to get to know someone so timid and scared of her own shadow. Not that he made her feel any less timid. Regardless, she was indeed a hard worker. 

The low chime of one of the many wall clocks caught Lindar’s attention. He snapped his book shut and nearly jumped out of his armchair, startling the drowsy Yukari. He quietly cracked his thin neck and sighed deeply. The arrival of dusk didn’t mean sleep for him, but for some work in his profession. He would piddle away on his latest project and forget the hours going by. If it transformed into a sleepless night, so be it. He welcomed it. Yukari, on the other hand…

“You should finish up soon and head to bed,” Lindar addressed casually. “I’ll be in the basement area tending to something important.”

As the dragoness opened her mouth to ask, he cut her off with a waggle of his finger and a sing-song tone, “Now, remember…”

Yukari sighed, sleepily repeating, “Chop-chop, or tick-tock…”

Lindar gave a nod of approval and walked towards the basement. He couldn’t help but quietly chuckle to himself. Chop-chop or tick-tock…that was a good one. He needed to write that one down.

Yukari watched him leave, observing the way he walked and picking up on his faint chuckle. Despite herself, she blew out a forced breath of hidden irritation and finished up her work. Even the spoiled children in town weren’t as bad as him.

* * *

It was almost a week.

Yukari kept track of the days down to the very hour. She’d been in this castle for almost a full week. In that time period, she half-expected to get to know the Clockwork King. Learn his past, why he turned other dragons into clocks, maybe even whether he had family. Just something about him so she wouldn’t be so afraid. But no matter how kind she was, no matter how much cleaning she did, he kept up that icy shield. He had no intention of opening up. He remained cold, throwing in bits of morbid humor, still treating her like a stranger.

Treating her like she was a nuisance.

She slipped her nightgown on and let her hair down with a downtrodden sigh. A glance out the window made her think of the town. How were Uncle Lateef and Muffin? Did they already figure her for dead? She missed being in her own room so much. She missed Muffin climbing onto the mattress and settling herself under her arm. This castle wasn’t home. This room wasn’t her room. She wanted her real home.

But that was a way’s away. She just had to work off the clock. If the Clockwork King kept his word, that is.

Laying down on the mattress, Yukari closed her eyes and prayed for a peaceful night’s sleep. She wouldn’t be getting it.

* * *

_She was in a pit of darkness. There was a single light above her, shining upon her and showcasing her to the unseen eyes around her. At least Yukari believed there were eyes on her. It was enough to cause chills to run through her veins and raise her scales. Was there an exit? She wanted to get out of this darkness and get back to light that didn’t feel so foreboding._

_Then she looked down at her arm and gasped. Her pink scales began changing. They shifted and began resembling varnished wood. A ticking noise began erupting from her body. A look at her abdomen showed gears and glass doors forming in her scales. Her wings were suddenly made of gears and springs. The ticking got louder and louder before she realized it was a clock face popping out of her body._

_There was a familiar, horrifying laugh around her. Yukari screamed and fully realized what was happening. He went back on his promise and started turning her into a clock. As the transformation completed, her screams ceased and she froze into a statue. The Clockwork King kept laughing._

_There was a flash, and Yukari’s screaming came back. She looked and saw scales and feathers instead of wood and metal. She panted and breathed a sigh of relief, but then she saw where else she was._

_The glade. But it looked so different…_

_She heard laughter and looked to the distance, gasping at the visitors. There was herself as a child and two dragons accompanying her. One was a male with bluish-white scales and dark-blue hair, sporting her wings and ears. He looked quite like Lateef, only younger. The other was female with rose-pink scales and longer, curly silver hair. Yukari recognized them as her parents. A ghost of a smile formed on her snout, but she knew what was about to happen. This was a nightmare she had since the day it happened._

_Something came, prompting her mother to hide her younger self in the bushes. She joined her father in confronting what visited them. Her younger self watched from the bushes as that horrible woman and those awful creatures encircled her parents. Yukari started running, hoping to save them. But it seemed like she wasn’t moving an inch. They backed away slowly as that glowing jewel basked them in eerie light._

_“Run! RUN!!”_

_But as her younger self watched, she was helpless to watch her parents be slain. She was frozen in place as shackles formed on her wrists and an unseen force throw her inside a dungeon cell. She could still hear that horrible woman’s vile cackle._

_Yukari screamed bloody murder._

* * *

Lindar lifted his goggles off his face and rubbed his tired eyes. The parts scattered across the old table blurred into unrecognizable forms the longer he stared at them. He told himself he could work on this all night, but his physical condition made that possibility less and less. Despite his attempts to press on and keep working, his body told him it was time for bed. Rats.

He pulled the goggles and the horn attachments off his head and put them among his tools. He popped his thin neck and sighed wearily. He needed to bundle up underneath the covers and forget everything going on. So he closed up his private getaway and locked it with a skeleton key he kept in his housecoat. He soon made the trek out of the basement area and to the second floor and the west wing of the castle. No thinking of his curse. No thinking of how alone he was. No thinking of-

Lindar tensed up when he heard the scream.

He found himself bolting towards Yukari’s room. He needed to keep calm, but he was frantic and it sent a familiar pain through his chest. He really couldn’t be this worried about her, could he? But he was. That was why he ran with all he had and used the key to open her door. 

He went inside expecting some intruder or a rat that sneaked into the castle. Instead, he saw Yukari sitting up in bed, rocking back and forth as tears cascaded down her cheeks. There was no intruder or sign of vermin in the room. That meant only one thing: a nightmare. Strange, she seemed to have no trouble sleeping before. But he never bothered to check on her before, either.

As he approached the bed, he began with, “Yukari, what’s-“

He froze when the dragoness lunged and wrapped her arms around his waist. His first instinct was to pry her off and chastise her for even touching him. But as he opened his mouth, he heard her sobs. Lindar looked down and saw her bury her snout into his waist and sob loudly.

“P-Please don’t t-turn me into a c-clock, please d-don’t turn m-me into a-a clock, p-please d-don’t turn m-me into a c-clock…”

Lindar’s face immediately fell. He truly scared her this much. Yes, he made threats of turning her into a clock if she didn’t do her work just right…but he didn’t mean it. He just wanted to keep her out of his hair. He thought he was joking, too. But seeing her this scared made an old feeling resurface: guilt. As disgruntled as he was about Yukari appearing in his life, he didn’t want her to be this afraid of him. He wasn’t going to hurt her; never desired to. He wasn’t a monster or a soulless demon like many believed. He was just a sad, guilt-riddled dragon who couldn’t let go of his shame.

Lindar hesitated, but slowly wrapped his arms around Yukari in a comforting manner. He could hear Yukari’s sobs pause from his action. Shock, a sense of comfort, fear, he didn’t know her reasoning, but he just didn’t want her to be afraid. Soon, she resumed her sobs and kept her snout buried in his waist. They just stayed like that for a moment, not saying a word save for Yukari’s sobs. Neither of them knew what to say to one-another. Lindar decided to take the chance and speak first.

“…I won’t turn you into a clock.”

Yukari suddenly looked at the Clockwork King with teary eyes. “Y-Y-You…y-you won’t?”

Lindar shook his head, answering with a sigh, “No, I won’t. Because…because…”

_‘Because I can’t.’_

“…Because I don’t want you to be afraid of me.” 

Yukari couldn’t begin to describe the shock she felt. While part of her remained skeptical of his claim-he could be lulling her into a false sense of security-she hoped there was finally a break in that icy shield with that admission. And yes, since she first laid eyes upon him, she was deathly afraid of him. One wrong move and she could be turned into a clock. But now she was utterly confused. If he didn’t want her to be afraid of him, why make her walk on eggshells around him? She mentally crossed her fingers and hope the shield finally cracked.

Lindar didn’t want to risk getting too close. For all he knew, he would just get burned again. But he was willing to at least make her feel comfortable around him. He explained, “I’m…I’m sorry. I’m sorry for making you afraid of me. I assure you…I won’t turn you into a clock. If anything, I can go on and let you go-“

“I-I won’t go…”

Lindar released her from his hold and looked at her with surprise. “What?”

Yukari wiped her eyes and sniffled, finally finding herself calming down. Just knowing that he embraced her and apologized for frightening her gave her enough hope. If he opened up a little, then she would open up, too. 

“I-I won’t go,” Yukari repeated, firmly. “I-I made a promise to work off the clock…a-and I’m keeping it. I-I never break my promises.”

She did say that the night they met. Most would’ve taken the opportunity to run the moment it was offered. Lindar expected her to do the same. Instead, she remained here, staring up at him with eyes still teary. As timid as she was, she _stayed_. 

“You’re an odd dragoness,” Lindar spoke, albeit complimentary.

There was a small sting in his chest, telling him he needed to go before pouring anything else out. He gave her a small nod of acknowledgement before turning to the door. Just as he reached for the doorknob, he could hear her call out.

“W-Wait,” Yukari halted him. When she saw him stop and turn to her, she twiddled her thumbs as a small smile appeared on her snout. She finally mustered, “T-Thank you…f-for comforting me.”

Lindar froze. He cast his blue eyes down, unsure of what to think. But he looked at her with a softened gaze, and replied in an equally-soft voice, “You’re welcome.”

* * *

The town didn’t feel right. No one knew what to think with one of their own missing.

Muffin saw the dragons that came and went and they all said the same thing. She waited by Lateef’s side and hoped somehow, someway, Yukari would come home. But it was almost a week and no Yukari. Nothing felt right without Yukari.

She remembered the shock on Lateef’s face when Titan came with Yukari’s basket. They found it in a glade in the forest near town and that brought even more shock to the blue dragon’s face. She remembered something he said about it being ‘that glade’. The tapir didn’t know what was so special about ‘that glade’, but she did know that Yukari going there led to her disappearance. And she knew Lateef feared the worse. He was too old and still too sick to have to deal with this.

Muffin could hear the whispers around town whenever the window was open. Those nosy fauns believed she ran off with some vagabond. The ones frequenting the café brought up the possibility of bandits. Then there was that one; something about some ‘Clockwork King’. She didn’t know who that was, but he sounded bad. 

She couldn’t stand by anymore. Yukari had to come home, even if she had to sniff her out herself.

Now she watched Lateef open the door and speak to Gildas. The same-old news: no signs of Yukari. Lateef grew weary of hearing the same news again and again, she observed. She was tired of seeing Lateef so depressed. She was tired of the town not feeling right. She was just _tired_. No more being tired. She had to act now.

With a grunt of determination, Muffin bolted out the door, past Lateef and Gildas, and ran towards the town gate leading to the woods. She could hear Lateef and Gildas calling for her. Lucky for her, stiff joints and age halted their attempts to chase her. They would thank her later. She would bring Yukari home and get Lateef smiling again.

As long as she didn’t get eaten. 


	7. Chapter 6: Into Forbidden Territory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukari is surprised to find someone has tracked her down to the secluded castle. In the midst of this new development, her curiosity gets the better of her and she ends up breaking Lindar's most important rule. Lindar isn't too happy about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally planned to have everything condensed into one chapter, but to keep it simple, I've broken this situation down to two chapters, with a nice little cliffhanger at the end. The best part will come in the next chapter, but I believe this'll be satisfactory, too. Again, thanks for all the comments and kudos and patience!

Chapter 6: Into Forbidden Territory

Muffin realized she made a huge mistake.

She was so caught up in her grand plan that she forgot one thing: she barely went to ‘that glade’. She had no inkling of how to get there like Yukari or the other dragons. She hoped she would get a whiff of her owner’s scent. Then it dawned on her that it was almost a week since she disappeared. The heavy rains when she disappeared didn’t help, either. She was as good as prey for whatever lurked in the woods.

She managed to avoid the dragons now looking for her on top of Yukari. Maybe it was better to let them find her at this point. On foot, it took her over a day to reach the depths of the forest, maybe two. Still no sight of ‘that glade’. Still no sign of her owner…

_‘I’m as good as dead. What was I thinking? At this rate, I’ll never find-‘_

Muffin paused her dreary thoughts when the shade of the trees disappeared. She was in an open field encircled by the surrounding trees. An open space surrounded by trees-wait, Lateef and Yukari said that was what a glade was! This had to be ‘that glade’! Muffin immediately started jumping for joy and chirping loudly. But then she stopped. She found the glade…but where was Yukari? Why wasn’t she here? Where was…

She chirped loudly, trumpeting from her trunk a few times. She just wanted to hear her owner call her name, just so she would know she was alive. She chirped until her throat dried, and there was no answer. Muffin had a sinking feeling in her heart that Yukari was kidnapped or worse. If she was gone, it would break Lateef’s heart. It would break _her_ heart!

The tapir resolved herself to walking back and letting the town’s dragons find her. Her blue eyes trailed to the trees in sadness…then she saw it. By some miracle, she found it there. Nestled in one of the tree branches was a blue feather. A blue feather with starry sparkles in it. That feather could only belong to one dragon. Now she just had to follow that direction. If she went far enough, she just might find Yukari.

Just how far did her owner go into these woods? Oh, why did she go out on that day? She had a feeling in her gut that something bad would happen, but no one listened to the tapir. A small trumpet of frustration came out of her trunk. Then she looked and noticed the broken branches. Like something crashed into them in a panic. Like a certain dragoness. A burst of energy coursed through Muffin’s veins, prompting her to trot faster and follow the broken branches. All she had to do was keep running and find something. 

The tapir finally found the exit of the forest and stumbled onto a stone path. Said stone path led to a large castle that saw better days. There was no talk of a castle in the forest. But that wasn’t important to Muffin right now. She had to find Yukari; pick up her scent. A hint of lavender, the peculiar smell of the cotton in her clothes, the jasmine scent in her hair, something.

Muffin finally looked up to one of the balconies and saw a familiar shade of pink. A pink dragoness stood hanging sheets and clothes on a makeshift clothes line, pulling a pin out of her mouth and securing a shirt. Muffin’s eyes lit up; it was Yukari! In her joy, she loudly chirped and trumpeted. The sounds reached Yukari’s ears and she froze, looking down at the creature below.

A bright smile appeared on her snout and she gasped, “Muffin!”

Muffin immediately bolted for the gate, but found she couldn’t open it. Fortunately, Yukari flew down from the balcony and landed in front of the gate, opening it for her pet. This wouldn’t be considered leaving the castle grounds; therefore, she wouldn’t be breaking her promise. The moment she opened the creaky gate, Muffin jumped up and knocked her down, lapping at her face. Yukari laughed and hugged Muffin in return.

Then it dawned on her: Muffin came after her alone. Yukari sat up and held the tapir in her lap, asking, “D-Did you come here by yourself?”

Muffin chirped triumphantly, but she didn’t get the response she wanted. Yukari instead huffed and scolded, “Oh, n-now Uncle Lateef will worry over both of us! Y-You shouldn’t be scaring him like that, young lady!”

Muffin got up and started tugging at her owner’s dress. Yukari would be happy to be reunited with Lateef and the three of them could live in peace again. But as she tugged, the dragoness refused to budge. Muffin immediately let go and looked at her in confusion. Why wasn’t she moving? Oh, no…did she do that ‘eloping’ thing with someone and live at this castle now? 

“I-I can’t leave, Muffin,” Yukari explained sadly, kneeling down and petting the tapir. “I-I’m working to pay for something I damaged. I made a promise to stay and work for…”

Yukari immediately gulped. Since she wasn’t permitted to leave, that meant she would be bringing Muffin to stay with her. That would mean explaining to the Clockwork King why there was a tapir in the castle. While he wasn’t so rigid as he was when they first met, she still didn’t want to press her luck. But she couldn’t leave Muffin in the forests or make her go back to town. She couldn’t break her promise, either. What was she to do? She made the decision: she would sneak Muffin into the castle and hide her until she could explain herself.

Hoisting Muffin into her arms, Yukari huffed, “L-Let’s get you something to eat, young lady! All that travelling must have you starved…”

Muffin made no protests when Yukari took her and flew back to the balcony. Yukari put her on the carpeted floor and went to the kitchen for some food. As a precaution, she shushed the tapir and told her to stay put. As long as both were quiet, the Clockwork King wouldn’t know a thing. Just cut up a few vegetables and things would be peachy-keen. 

Yukari made it to the kitchen and chopped a few cucumbers and lettuce leaves. Muffin would be happy to have food in her stomach while she figured out the best way to keep her hidden. Then she’d have to figure out a way to inform Uncle Lateef they were both fine. Maybe a pigeon would show up and she could train it. Or send a note on a balloon or flying lantern. So many possibilities, and she didn’t have a balloon or lantern or pigeon. There had to be-

“What in the world is THAT!?”

The dragoness nearly dropped the bowl of vegetables. She rushed back to the East Wing and felt her heart go into her throat. There stood the Clockwork King, glaring down at the growling Muffin as though she was a rabid dog. She immediately stepped between them and shielded the tapir. There was no point in hiding this anymore. Now she had to plead for leniency.

“I-It’s okay, s-she won’t hurt you,” Yukari insisted, holding her hands up. “M-Muffin’s as gentle as a lamb-“

“Wait, you named it already?” Lindar asked incredulously.

Yukari shook her head, kneeling down and petting the tapir. Muffin ceased growling, but glared at the blue dragon nonetheless. Yukari quietly explained, “S-She’s my pet tapir…f-from home. S-She came all this way to find me. P-Please don’t throw her out; s-she won’t survive in the forests!”

Lindar saw her eyes go bleary. He wanted to slap his forehead over it all. He still only tolerated Yukari’s presence; being less bristled didn’t mean he enjoyed her company. Now she pushed it by wanting her pet to stay here. A mangy thing that would just pee on the carpet out of spite. It was obvious that ‘Muffin’ didn’t like him, either. But those eyes of hers stirred up emotions inside, making his chest hurt. An audible hiss came out of his snout…and this time, Yukari took notice.

“A-Are you okay?”

Lindar took a deep breath and pinched between his brows. He really didn’t want to do this, but he wanted her to stop looking at him like that. He finally threw his hands in the air and relented, “Fine, it stays. But if it pees inside the castle, it stays outside! Fair enough?”

“U-Understood…”

The Clockwork King stifled a growl and massaged his temples, ignoring the tapir growling at him again. It wasn’t like him to be this lenient with anyone, let alone with Yukari. What was wrong with him? If he kept this up, she’d know exactly wish buttons to push to get what she wanted. Just like other people he thought he could trust. Another pain and another hiss came and he knew he needed some air.

“I’m going out for a while,” Lindar stated abruptly.

Watching him head for the stairs, Yukari called out, “G-Going where?”

“That’s confidential information,” Lindar shot back in frustration. “Just keep an eye on the castle while I’m gone!”

Lindar made it to the double doors and grabbed a cloak and an ivory cane. If he was going out, he would make sure no one knew his true identity. For all they knew, he was just some beggar or vagrant wandering around. Even if he had to go in a disguise, he just needed to get out for a while. Clear his head and get rid of these feelings welling up inside. 

As the doors shut, Yukari stood quietly for a moment. Finally, her voice barely concealing frustration, she muttered, “H-He can go out, but I can’t? I-It’s not fair…”

Muffin nudged her leg, prompting her to look down. The tapir motioned her head towards the front doors as if telling her to make a run for it. Tempting idea, but Muffin didn’t understand the situation. Yukari shook her head and replied, “I-I can’t, Muffin. I-I made a promise and I never break my promises. W-We have to stay…”

Muffin frowned and snorted. Yukari promptly ignored her and stated, “W-Well, I-I’ll show you around…”

* * *

“…a-and this is my room. This is where you’ll stay often.”

Yukari lost track of how much time she spent showing Muffin the castle. She didn’t know when the Clockwork King would return from whatever he was doing. Part of her feared he went looking for Lateef; to turn him into a clock as punishment for letting Muffin in. Fortunately, he didn’t know what her uncle looked like. And she didn’t plan on telling him, either. Then she wondered if he was in town scouting out a victim. He wasn’t that desperate, was he?

As she turned towards the East Wing, Yukari stated, “O-Okay, let’s get a bed made for you-“

Muffin suddenly chirped, prompting the dragoness to turn around. She saw Muffin gesturing towards the opposite hall leading to the West Wing. Her eyes widened and she shook her head furiously. “N-No, Muffin! W-We can’t go looking through there! T-The Clockwork King said no…n-no going into the m-master chamber.”

But Muffin insisted, giving her the ‘what he doesn’t know won’t kill him’ look. Obviously, the tapir wanted to spite him in some way. Yukari knew that, but the rule still stood. But he wasn’t here, either, and she didn’t know when he’d return. But it was still a rule. But her curiosity grew stronger the more she looked. Whatever secrets he hid, she truly wanted to know. She was just tired of secrets.

“Well…j-just one look. J-Just in and out,” Yukari stuttered, holding her hand in front of Muffin. “B-But you’re staying right here until I get back.”

Yukari hesitantly began walking up the flight of stairs leading to the West Wing. Her hands shook as she held to the banister and her tail twitched nervously. She didn’t even go here to clean; she didn’t want to risk entering the forbidden room. Now she was about to do just that. When she entered the hall, she found a surprise: no clocks in this hall. Not a single trace of a clock. No portraits, either. Nothing but traces of scorch marks on the walls. Cold air also filled the hall, making her shiver. There were no doors lining the hall, either…just the set of double-doors at the end.

The hall seemed to grow longer, but it was just her imagination. Yukari’s claws traced the handles, which formed the head of a dragon. Part of her told her to go back while she could. However, the lure of the room’s secrets proved too powerful. Inhaling through her nostrils and tucking her hair behind her ear, she pulled one of the doors open and peered inside.

The room was dark, the only light being the few rays of the setting sun filtering through a set of balcony doors. The windows had the curtains closed, but she could make out some of the objects in the room. A canopy bed larger than hers sat against the wall, the sheets mangled and smelling musty. A table sat on each side of the bed with junk scattered about. An aged wardrobe sat to the side, one of the doors ajar and old clothes poking out. So far, it looked just like the room of someone who didn’t clean often.

Yukari glanced towards the wall facing the bed and found something of interest. A large painted portrait, taller than her, untouched by time. A grayish-blue dragon with blonde hair stood next to a light-blue dragoness with dark-blue hair. Both looked to be dressed in regal clothes; perhaps the previous king and queen or ancestors. Her eyes trailed to the baby dragon laying in the dragoness’ arms. Wrapped in a blanket, the baby sported messy blonde hair and familiar blue eyes and smiled in the painter’s direction. Yukari brought one of her hands to her mouth in awe.

_‘T-This…is this the Clockwork King as a baby? T-Then those are his parents…’_

Yukari realized the style of painting looked familiar. Her eyes went to the corner, where the artist usually put their signature. She studied it and indeed found a familiar signature; one she saw on the paintings Lateef purchased. She found herself stepping back in shock.

“M-Mr. Gildas painted this? M-Mr. Gildas…kn-knows the Clockwork King?”

She felt the need to get out of the room immediately. There was already too much she found herself overwhelmed with. Knowing that Gildas knew the Clockwork King proved horrifying to her. And she had to get out before he returned. Just as she started dashing for the doors, she heard it.

The ticking sounds.

As if under a spell, Yukari slowly turned her head towards the balcony doors. There was a table she paid no heed to before. Slowly, she stepped towards it and noticed the objects meticulously resting on it. First, there was a compact object resembling a pocket watch. She picked it up, but the ticking she heard didn’t come from it. Her eyes centered on a glass dome and what was inside it. A heart-shaped clock sat securely under the dome, sporting a few cracks on the wooden surface and scratches on the glass face. A red jewel rested below the face, almost glowing in the room. Even under the glass, the ticking was loud, ticking as though it was a beating heart.

Against her better judgment, Yukari lifted the glass dome and picked the clock up. She stared at it, the ticking being the only thing she heard in the room. The longer she listened, the more it started sounding like an actual heartbeat. Something radiated from it; a great sense of sadness and hopelessness. It was so strong that Yukari felt tears fall from her eyes. It felt like she literally held a broken heart.

Unbeknownst to her, the front doors of the castle opened and Lindar returned. In his arms were several cloth sacks containing unknown items. He shed his cloak and put away the cane before noticing the quiet in the castle. He shouldn’t be surprised; Yukari remained quiet as a mouse no matter where he was. But this quiet was different. Did she make her escape in his absence? Obviously not, as the mutt trotted around the top of the stairs. Why was it staring towards the West Wing so much?

An odd feeling came over Lindar. He immediately clutched at his chest and knew something was wrong. His blue eyes widened when he realized _someone_ was in his room. Someone had _that_ clock! 

He wasted no time in bolting up the stairs, rushing past Muffin. He had to get to his room before anything happened. To his horror, he found one of the double-doors ajar. He threw both doors open and found Yukari hovering over the table. She was holding the heart-shaped clock in her hands, standing in a trance.

“Put that down!”

Yukari immediately broke out of her trance and yelped. The clock slipped out of her hands and descended towards the floor. Gasping, Lindar immediately dove forward and caught the clock before it hit the floor. He opened his hands and found the clock still ticking and without further damage. He sighed in relief and put the clock back under the glass dome.

Then he turned to Yukari with pure rage on his face.


	8. Chapter 7: Reckless Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caught red-handed being in the Clockwork King's bedroom, Yukari finds herself growing a backbone, but only for a moment. Lindar finds himself caught in the same pattern that led to his curse in the first place. Bianca just wants the two to get along and hopes for the curse to be broken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the lack of updates, life's been busy and I was hit with writer's block! I finally have this finished, though! For those waiting for some nice drama, I've delivered! I will say that things will be resolved, but you'll have to keep reading to find out how. For now, have some angst between Lindar and Yukari, all the while they're being watched by a certain rabbit sorceress!

Chapter 7: Reckless Words

“Okay…let’s see if I can get this to work.”

Bianca sat alone in her room and hovered over a glass orb. While this one proved smaller than what the Sorceress possessed, she would still get a good view. Just a few days ago, she mastered the art of magic viewing after much trial-and-error. Now she could view anything thing she wanted going on at the moment, provided the name the person or location. And she was eager to test it out and look in on two particular dragons.

She didn’t know what it was, but she was interested in this prince and the dragoness staying with him. The Sorceress also kept an eye on them, but Bianca grew uncomfortable with the way she talked about a ‘pure heart’. Thus, she decided it was best to view them from the privacy of her room. What did she do to keep the Sorceress from getting suspicious? She offered to keep track of the prince and the dragoness for the sake of learning about them. She just wanted to see how the two dragons were. And she wanted to see if the prince could break the curse placed upon him.

“Viewing Orb…please show me the prince and the dragoness with him.”

Smoke formed within the orb and swirled around, gradually forming an image. Bianca sat with bated breath, clasping her hands together in excitement. The image finally formed to show a dark room. What happened next had Bianca’s heart falling.

_“I thought I made it very clear that you were forbidden from going in the master chamber!”_

Bianca’s smile dropped when she saw the prince glaring angrily at the trembling dragoness. He stood hovering over a table containing the clock the Sorceress mentioned. She didn’t know what happened beforehand, but obviously no one was allowed in this room but him. And the dragoness looked like she was caught doing something wrong.

“Oh, no…oh, no, what are they fighting about?”

* * *

“I-I-I d-d-didn’t mean a-any h-harm!”

“Didn’t mean any harm? You almost dropped the clock!”

The cold that was once in Lindar’s eyes melted by the flame of his fury. He thought he was going to come home to a quiet castle and a quiet evening. Instead, he found the dragoness in the one place she shouldn’t be. The most-forbidden of the places he made forbidden. And she nearly destroyed the most important clock in the castle. No, she almost destroyed his _heart_. Those butterfingers of hers could have killed him. And she had the audacity to claim she didn’t mean any harm? 

Yeah. That’s what they all said. Then they stabbed you in the back. He had a small glimmer of hope that maybe-just maybe-that wasn’t the case here. But Yukari wasn’t any different after all.

Yukari’s hands trembled violently. Despite feeling something odd bubbling in her chest, she hunched her shoulders up and couldn’t look the Clockwork King in the eye. He had every right to be mad, but did he have to raise his voice? It wasn’t like she came in to break this clock on purpose. What was so important about it that he’d be so angry about it?

Meekly, Yukari defended, “I-I-I was j-just c-curious-“

But Lindar wouldn’t have it. He began to angrily pace the room, taking moments to glare at the dragoness. He ranted, “I gave you just a few simple rules to follow; very simple rules! I’ve actually been very lenient towards you! And how do you repay me? You interrupt my way of life, bring a flea-riddled mutt into my castle, and now you break the most important of the three rules! I should’ve known you’d take advantage of me like this!”

The odd feeling in Yukari’s chest finally took form. The trembling in her hands ceased as this unusual feeling took over. This ugly, yet empowering feeling grew stronger and stronger the more his words echoed in her mind. She fought to hold it in, but the other dragon accusing her of taking advantage of him finally gave it power. Her eyes narrowed and her tail whipped violently. Then she opened her mouth and let it all come out.

“T-Take advantage of you? Y-You’re the one who threatened me into being your servant,” Yukari fired back, stunning the Clockwork King. She got as far as pointing a finger in his face, continuing, “N-No, you’ve made me a prisoner! F-For all I know, you plan on never letting me go!”

Lindar’s eyes widened, but he wasn’t going to let his shock waver his resolve. So, she finally had the guts to argue with him? Well, he could go all day. “Well, this whole mess wouldn’t be going on if you didn’t break into my castle and break the grandfather clock! Would you have rather been left to the wolves?”

“And yet you get to leave! You get to keep secrets from me! I-If you would just tell me why, I wouldn’t have come in here,” Yukari snapped.

“I don’t have to tell you anything!” Lindar spat.

It blew her mind that a grown dragon would act like this. Regardless of whether or not he’d turn her into a clock, she didn’t care at the moment. Instead, she huffed and growled, “Y-You’re acting like a selfish, spoiled brat!”

Lindar had been called that one too many times before. By the servants, by his so-called friends, by his own father. Now this dragoness who knew nothing about him-some commoner-rubbed that salt back into his open wounds. The disgraced prince saw nothing but red and didn’t stop what came out of his mouth. He didn’t care, he wasn’t even thinking; he just wanted to put her in her place.

“Well, you know what? I never wanted you here! Things were perfectly fine before you barged in here like some vagrant! You’re so meek, it’s embarrassing! You’re just a spineless little doormat who’s only good for destroying someone else’s property! Now GET OUT!”

The bravado Yukari had withered away right then. She immediately returned to a shivering, wide-eyed, timid mess, now with sniffles and tears in her eyes. She never enjoyed anyone yelling at her, but what he said cut to the core. Because it was true. The gossiping fauns in town said similar things of her, and she often feared her fellow dragons thought the same thing. The Clockwork King was the first to voice it out-loud. Now she felt like a total fool. And here she thought there was a glimmer of good in him…

Yukari turned away just as tears ran down her cheeks. In a parting shot, she whimpered, “Y-Y-You…y-you awful, heartless jerk! N-No wonder y-you’re alone!”

Lindar looked as though he’d just been slapped. He said nothing when she finally stormed out of his room. It wasn’t that she called him a jerk. Being called heartless didn’t hurt more than it did. What sent a bitter pain through his body was that one horrible word.

Alone.

Once again, he was alone. That was how he wanted it. Wasn’t it?

* * *

Muffin found herself startled when she heard frantic footsteps from the hall. She didn’t know if it was Yukari or that uptight Clockwork King or whatever his name was. She only knew there were some loud noises right before the footsteps. To the tapir’s shock, it was Yukari running out of the West Wing. Then she noticed the sniffles and sobs coming from her owner. Yukari did her best to cover her tear-stained face, but Muffin saw it clear as day.

That stupid blue dragon made her cry, didn’t he? 

Muffin trotted after the pink dragoness, fearing what would happen if she left her alone. She chirped and trumpeted at her owner without reply, but she didn’t give up. She only stopped when Yukari stopped in the main hall on the first floor. She found Yukari eyeing the front doors of the castle. Their ticket out of this place. 

Yukari stared at the doors and heard a little voice in her mind. It urged her to grab Muffin and run out of this place, never to return. It was best to let the Clockwork King rot in his own selfishness and bitterness; best to save herself any more trouble. Be done with him! If she walked out the doors, she’d never have to see him again. She could go back to Lateef and act like nothing ever happened. If she just walked out the door, she could have everything back the way it was. 

Then her own voice echoed in her conscience. Her meek, scared voice the night she first set foot in the castle. The voice belonging to a spineless little doormat. As much as Yukari tried to ignore it, it grew stronger.

_‘I-I promise to work off the d-damages. A-And I never break my promises, Clockwork King.’_

_‘I-I promise-‘_

_‘I never break my promises-‘_

Yukari flattened her ears and whimpered loudly. If she broke her promise, she could risk losing everything. If she broke something as sacred as a promise, even to someone like the Clockwork King…

Promises were sacred. Promises were never to be broken, no matter who you made them with. That was hammered into her head from childhood. It was instilled a little too well and that caused her to be in this mess. It was what caused her to back out on the temptation to flee the castle. Most would urge her to run, but they didn’t understand her beliefs. She made a promise to the Clockwork King that she would work off damages. 

With a strangled sob, Yukari turned her head away from the door and went to the East Wing. Muffin, confused, chased after her and wondered why her owner wasn’t getting out of here. But that answer could wait; her focus was comforting her. 

Stupid blue dragon…

* * *

Lindar let out a snarl and violently slammed the doors shut. At this point, he couldn’t maintain the emotionless shield. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d lost his temper like this, but he still saw red. Even after Yukari fled the room, that one word she uttered sent his temper over the edge. Smoke drifted out of his nostrils and a fiery glow emanated from the back of his throat. 

Where did she get the gall to say those things to him? She was just some commoner afraid of anything that moved. He was the almighty Clockwork King! What right did she have to talk back to him? To try and knock him down a peg? To remind him of everything that led up to his current state? Everyone else rubbed it in that he was too spoiled and selfish; that he hurt people with his wicked tongue. But they never got reprimands for their flaws.

“It’s always _my_ fault, isn’t it? I’m done wrong, and yet _I’m_ still the bad guy!”

The fire inside his throat flickered, but Lindar closed his mouth with a snort, more smoke pouring from his nostrils. The more he mulled, the more his temper flared. The more his temper flared, the warmer the clock began to get under the glass dome. Unfortunately, he failed to notice this detail. The light-blue dragon busied himself with ranting to himself about his wounded pride. He kept on stomping around his room like a fledgling throwing a tantrum, unaware of the condition of the clock.

“Everything was just fine until she showed up,” Lindar ranted, his gestures highly animated. “I was comfortable with the situation, and then she had to barge in here! Now my life is out of order! Then she thinks she stab me in the back like everyone else did! I hope that little mouse decided to-“

The hole in his chest flared red and Lindar seized. He let out an agonized cry and fell to his knees, nearly knocking the table with the clock over. His clawed hands clutched at the burning hole where his heart should be. It was what prompted him to finally look at the clock and give a strangled gasp. Smoke emanated from the clock and swirled around under the glass dome. If he didn’t act quickly, the clock would burst into flames. 

Lindar growled through the pain and managed to pull the dome off the clock. But the clock still emanated smoke from the cracks on the surface. The prince knew he had to calm himself down, lest his heart burn to cinders. He needed to quit thinking of the past and the salt in his wounds. He did his best to think of nothing at all and the clock gradually cooled down. The glow in his chest gradually dulled until it became a dark pit once again. However, the pain still resonated in his body with his tired breaths, prompting the feeling of something unpleasant in his throat. He scrambled to the balcony and leaned over with an audible retch.

His stomach now emptied and the clock safe, Lindar stumbled back into his room and headed for the bed. Before that, he grabbed the pocket watch off the table and held it in his trembling hands. Despite his desire to remain calm, there was something he needed to check. Where did his little guest scamper off to? 

Laying himself in the bed, he opened the pocket watch and commanded, “Show me Yukari.”

For all he knew, she ran out of the castle and got lost in the woods. He wouldn’t go chasing after her if he did, not after what was said. At least he could be left alone again. It would truly surprise him if she stayed-

Lindar gasped when the image appeared. She wasn’t in the woods, not even in the castle courtyard or front foyer. Instead, she was in her room, laying on her stomach with her face buried in the pillows. He could hear her muffled sobs and sniffles and a lump formed in his throat. Nearby, the tapir did her best to comfort her owner, but couldn’t get on the bed. After all that, she didn’t leave the castle. The others did, so why didn’t she?

One of her earlier statements echoed in his mind; she said she didn’t break her promises. But he wasn’t worth upholding a promise to. Still, the fact that she stayed prompted a thought that didn’t cross his mind often: that he was wrong about her.

He could see Yukari remain where she was, her tail lifelessly hanging over the mattress. He listened as she sniffled more and whimpered, _“W-W-Why did I-I make a p-promise, Muffin? I-I would have n-never m-made a p-promise if I-I knew he h-hated me th-this much…”_

Lindar’s eyes widened in shock and he almost dropped the pocket watch. Though she wouldn’t be able to hear him, he immediately denied, “W-What-no…no, I don’t hate you…”

_“I-I-I want to g-go home! I-I-I can’t s-stand another m-minute here!”_

Lindar felt moisture pooling in his eyes, something he hadn’t done in three years. Why did it hurt so much to see her like this? Maybe it was her fear of him hating her, or maybe it was just because she stayed. Either way, he felt something else he hadn’t felt in a long time: guilt. Guilt that his words made someone cry their eyes out.

When the others left, they simply berated him or gave him the silent treatment. His friends leaving hurt the worst because they had sadness hiding behind their anger. He was angry in-turn because they left him at the worst time. Now he had someone here and he hurt her. But she stayed even with that. 

Then what she said next did it for him. He heard Yukari say, _“I…I-I-I’ll f-finish my w-work…b-but I-I’m leaving after that. I-I want n-nothing to d-do with him! N-Nothing at all!”_

Wanting nothing to do with him. That was what the servants told him before they left. That was the last thing he told his father before he died. Everything she said reminded him of what put him in this shape. His own tongue caused all this mess. He hadn’t changed at all. He was still the selfish, insensitive, careless prince who drove all his loved ones away. Now he repeated history with Yukari, only there was no storming out. 

Lindar closed the pocket watch and shoved it to the other side of the bed. This time, he couldn’t put on that cold demeanor and pretend it didn’t bother him. While there was no one to watch him, he rested his arm over his eyes to hide the tears spilling out. The precious clock ticked faster to match his mood and a small pain reverberated in his chest. He didn’t care, though. Guilt, sadness, and loneliness mashed themselves together and overwhelmed the disgraced prince. This was why he was never going to break his curse…

“…I’m sorry…”

* * *

Bianca’s jaw dropped at the image before her. Her heart sank with every harsh word they spoke to each other. Now it dropped deep in her stomach to see both of them in tears. This didn’t bode well for the prince. She didn’t know if the pink dragoness would be the one to help him break the curse, but this set him back to square one. Unless he controlled his tongue-unless they talked things out-he was doomed.

“No, no, no, please don’t let it end like this,” Bianca pleaded, cradling the magic orb. “Come on, prince, if you let it end like this, you’ll never break your curse-“

There was a knock on the door, followed by the Sorceress’ voice calling, “Bianca, are you talking to yourself again?”

The sorceress-in-training instinctively shielded the orb, hastily replying, “N-No, Your Highness! I-I was just reading a great drama novel!”

There was a pause, then the Sorceress snorted, “Well, just keep it down and keep watch over that sorry prince. Don’t let me down.”

As soon as she knew her mistress left for her ‘beauty sleep’, Bianca looked at the orb once again to see the two weeping dragons. If she could, she’d go talk to them herself and clear up the air. She would make them get along. But they would have to do this themselves; let things go naturally. Still…

“Please, please, please make up. I believe in you…”


	9. Chapter 8: Letting the Walls Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morning comes after their big fight, and both are miserable. Lindar decides it's time to let the walls down and make amends with Yukari. In-turn, Yukari begins seeing the so-called Clockwork King in a new light. They still have a long way to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the lack of updates! A combination of situations at home, writer's block, and the release of Pokemon Sword and Shield kept me occupied. But I have the latest update for The Clockwork King (and hopefully more Spyro drabbles before Christmas)! Here's the resolution between Lindar and Yukari everyone's been waiting for!

Chapter 8: Letting the Walls Down

Morning came upon the isolated castle. Heavy clouds gathered in the sky and shielded the sun, leaving the inside and out dull and dreary. It did well to match the dreary mood shared by two of the three inhabitants. Even if the sun came out and brightened the inside, it wouldn’t take away the tension hanging in the air. There was no ‘good morning’ or ‘I’ll get breakfast started’. Nothing but silence.

Lindar found himself alone at the large dining table. Because Yukari wasn’t up-and he hadn’t bothered to disturb her-he made himself a lackluster pot of tea. But he didn’t bother to drink it. He simply kept adding sugar to the murky mess as his mind failed to focus. He could only think of the disaster that played out last night.

He should’ve stopped himself, but his temper got the better of him. He always told himself to never feel bad about being blunt. But there was a difference between being blunt and using words as weapons. He knew his parents and his friends tried to hammer that into his head, but he refused to listen; his pride made him feel he did nothing wrong. Only now did he begin understanding why they all left. He was only ensuring he would remain alone until he died of old age or this curse finally killed him. 

Until then, he was still a lonely, awful, heartless jerk.

Lindar was about to get up and isolate himself in his private getaway when the dining hall door opened. Yukari came in wielding a feather duster and donning her apron. He could see her eyes were reddened and her shoulders slumped; she’d obviously been crying all through the night. Just seeing that made the pain in his chest flare up. It worsened when he realized she wouldn’t look at him or speak to him. She just kept her head down and stared at the floor as she walked. Lindar would have just left it as that for the sake of peace and quiet. But he needed to make things right, for both their sakes.

Before Yukari could disappear from his sight, Lindar looked at her and sadly addressed, “I didn’t mean what I said yesterday.”

_‘Then why did you say it, you dolt?’_

He saw the dragoness’ face awash with shock, prompting them to finally make eye-contact. Her puffy eyes widened at his words, neither one saying anything. Lindar didn’t know whether she believed him or not; he hoped she did. Soon, Yukari turned her gaze away and looked down. Lindar felt defeated and visibly winced. And then…

“…I didn’t mean what I said, either.”

Yukari once again went into silence. Lindar knew it wouldn’t be enough just to say he didn’t mean it. And he wanted more than anything to show her he didn’t mean it. Because he didn’t want Yukari to see him as the cruel and frightening Clockwork King. He wanted to let the walls down and show the pitiful, broken, and lonely dragon he really was. Well, he was going to shove the past aside and let the walls down.

Why her, he still didn’t know, but…

Lindar stared at Yukari with pitiful blue eyes, silently pleading for her to stay put. He swallowed his pride and the lump in his throat and felt the words come out without realizing it. He ran his claws through his unkempt hair, confessing, “Yukari, please believe me. I was just so angry…and I felt you were going to hurt me like others have. But you weren’t…so it gave me no right to yell at you. All I’ve done to you is frighten you and put you down. At least now you see me for the pathetic dragon I really am…”

Lindar’s vision blurred as tears threatened to fall. His voice broke when he concluded, “I-I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…just…”

_‘Just please don’t leave me…’_

He lowered his head and grimaced, preventing him from seeing if she stayed. No sooner did he look down that he heard footsteps and something rest on his free hand. He almost jumped and shot his head up. To his shock, Yukari sat next to him and rested her hand on top of his. He could also see her own eyes glistening as moisture pooled in them. In spite of his heart missing, he could feel hope welling up inside him. Maybe, for the first time in over three years, someone would stay…

Yukari had listened to his voice for any signs of deception. Some dragons were good at convincing others they were sorry, but she learned over the years to know when someone lied to her. To her surprise, she found no sign of deception in his voice; he truly sounded so broken. The moment she looked into his bleary eyes, she knew he told her the truth. And she didn’t have it in her to be angry with him. Thus, she took a leap of faith and sat close to him and made the move to comfort him. Being brave enough to actually touch his hand surprised even herself. 

“…I-I’m sorry, too,” Yukari apologized, “f-for going into your room a-and snapping at you. I forgive you…a-are you willing to forgive me?”

For a moment, Lindar felt his tongue turn to lead. After all that, she was willing to forgive him _and_ ask for _his_ forgiveness? As much as he didn’t want to risk overheating the clock, he felt a sense of joyous relief. If he wasn’t so shocked, he would’ve jumped up and hugged her. But he couldn’t risk scaring her off by being overly-friendly. Instead, he had a genuine smile on his face and answered, “Of course…of course I forgive you.”

“T-Then…d-does this count as starting fresh?”

Lindar chuckled softly, “I suppose it does.”

Yukari happened to notice the Clockwork King’s cup of tea and grimaced. The murkiness alone told her there was enough sugar to send a dragon into shock. She gently grabbed the cup and pot, suggesting, “T-This tea looks very sweet. I’ll go make some fresh.”

Lindar suddenly noticed the look of the tea and coughed into his hand in embarrassment. He immediately agreed, “O-Oh, yes, that would be nice.”

Before the dragoness could disappear into the kitchen, he called out, “And once it’s done…would you like to join me in the gardens? I mean, it’s mostly brambles, but I found a few flowers-“

The blue dragon was about to go into rambling until Yukari, smiling and blushing, cut him off with, “I would like that.”

With Yukari disappearing into the kitchen, Lindar took the moment to absorb a few things. They made up, she accepted his proposal…and she didn’t stutter when she accepted. For the first time in a long time, Lindar felt things were looking up. 

Hopefully…

* * *

He wasn’t kidding. The garden really was mostly brambles.

But Yukari wasn’t about to complain. With permission from the Clockwork King, she could spruce the garden up with some fresh seeds. And she felt like being grateful for time outside the castle. There wasn’t much conversation; just quiet aside the sound of sipping tea. They made up…now what? What could they converse about? How could she even initiate a conversation without choking up? So she remained quiet and stared at the few flowers struggling to bloom.

Only after they sat together for several minutes did the Clockwork King speak, “Yukari, I need to confess something. I…I lied to you.”

The dragoness felt a lump form in her throat. She asked, “Lied…a-about what?”

Lindar felt hesitant to tell her, fearing her reaction. But if he was going to start fresh with her, he would have to tell her the truth. A bit at a time, at least; he wasn’t ready to shed light upon his curse. There was one thing he could come clean with, however. The truth behind why he was called the Clockwork King.

“I was never going to turn you into a clock. In fact…I’ve never turned anyone into a clock,” Lindar confessed, his voice lowering in shame. “It was all a story I spread so I could be left alone. It also helped that I had a friend help me get the tale around.”

“T-Then…what about all those clocks in the castle?”

The disgraced prince flashed a small smile, somewhat-bragging, “I made them all myself. When you’ve isolated yourself for a few years, you have to find a hobby.”

He tried to make a joke about it, but he couldn’t even force a chuckle. Just admitting his isolation brought the pain back in his empty chest. For three years, he had no one, and he’d gotten used to it. Now that someone was here, he struggled to go back to his isolation or find a way to keep her here. After all, it wouldn’t be long before Yukari realized she no longer had a reason to stay. 

Yukari sat her tea cup down and stared at him, beginning, “S-So the grandfather clock…”

“It was still precious to me, but it wasn’t a dragon beforehand. If anything, I can repair it with a little time,” Lindar admitted. “So…in other words, you’re not obligated to stay. I-If you wanted to leave now…”

Lindar didn’t intend to guilt her into staying and his dread at the thought of her-anyone-leaving surprised him. But he fully expected Yukari to pack up and go now that she’d been told the truth. Instead…

“…I-I’ve already decided. I-I made a promise, a-and I intend to keep it.”

Lindar didn’t know whether to spit his tea out in shock or slap his forehead. The memory of her promise came back and her never breaking promises and whatnot. After confessing that his Clockwork King persona was a lie, she still insisted on working the clock off? Lindar couldn’t help himself when he said, “You’re a very odd dragoness, Yukari.”

A ghost of a smile appeared on Yukari’s face. She suddenly lowered her head and fiddled with her teacup, staring at her reflection at the remaining liquid. She confessed, her voice barely above a whisper, “Y-You’re not the first to tell me that. A-And…a-and you were right about me. I’m…I-I am a spineless doormat. I-I don’t know how to s-stand up for myself…”

Lindar wanted to tell her that wasn’t true. Instead, he lowered his head in-suit and played with a loose thread on his housecoat, admitting, “It seems we both have some baggage to deal with. In that case, you were right about me. I’ve been acting like a spoiled, selfish child…and I’ve been a heartless jerk to you and others.”

Yukari never believed that the Clockwork King would be this open with her. Quite frankly, she’d never thought she’d open up to someone other than Lateef or Muffin. Could he be a kindred spirit? The thought sent an odd feeling through her mind. As much as she didn’t want to push her luck, she couldn’t help it when the question came to mind.

“T-That clock in your room…w-why is it kept under a glass dome?”

Lindar froze. He wasn’t ready to tell the true story behind the clock; he didn’t expect her to believe it. He wouldn’t exactly lie to her, but that didn’t mean he’d tell the whole truth, either. It was best for both of them. And he didn’t want to risk the curse spreading to others should he tell everything about it. For all he knew, the Sorceress still remembered him…

Sighing deeply, he answered, “It’s…a very precious clock. It’s even more precious than the grandfather clock, actually. But it’s very broken…and I don’t know if I can ever fix it. So I’m protecting it until I find the answers I need.”

He hoped that would satisfy the dragoness. To his relief, she had no further questions concerning the clock. He silently watched her get up and collect their now-empty teacups and head for the kitchen. He didn’t know how she processed the bit of information or accepted it as truth. It made him fear he put a wall up once again. As he prepared himself to get up and do something to occupy his mind, he saw Yukari stand at the door staring at him. And she smiled softly at him.

“I-I’m glad we can start fresh, Clockwork King,” Yukari spoke kindly.

Oh, that was something else he needed to clear up. “Please…call me Lindar.”

Yukari pursed her lips at the request, but found herself nodding in agreement. “A-All right…Lindar.”

From that moment on, a brighter atmosphere started taking hold in the castle.

* * *

Bianca sat bewildered on the worn stool of her vanity. The viewing orb in front of her showed a different scenario from last night. There was no fighting, no awful words exchanged, no tears shed. They were sitting together with tea and opening up to each other, if just a little. If she wasn’t mistaken, there was a glimmer of hope in the prince’s eyes. There wasn’t so much fear in the dragoness’ eyes, either. Both of them had the look on their faces like they were children making a friend for the first time. 

She sighed a deep sigh of relief and wanted to keel over from her anxiety. Whether or not the Sorceress wanted it, she didn’t know, but she wanted the prince and the dragoness to succeed. At least they made a first step. Now they just had to keep getting to know each other and the prince had to keep learning to be kinder. No more scares like the previous night. Nothing but success.

Bianca was in for a lot of observing and learning the basics of patience.


	10. Chapter 9: Malaise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukari is struck with illness, forcing Lindar to travel to town and find medicine. In disguise, he runs into a few faces he didn't want to see. He soon realizes something has to change as he helps his guest recover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter up, sooner than usual! I'm getting back on track with updating the Spyro drabbles, but until then, have another addition from The Clockwork King! And the chapter after this will get very interesting!

Chapter 9: Malaise

It started with a hoarse cough.

Yukari told herself it was the dust from the mantle causing her cough. But the dust didn’t cause her hand and the feather duster to shake uncontrollably. It didn’t make her feel like she was on fire, and she was a dragon. Something was wrong; she knew it. But work had to be done.

Muffin wasn’t fooled, however. She stayed close to her owner and she struggled to dust the fireplace mantle. Just a few days ago-to her disbelief-her owner made amends with that blue dragon. Yukari didn’t act upset like she did, but she still worked hard to clean this huge castle. Yukari always worked hard to help others. Too hard. As much as she hated to admit it, she alone couldn’t convince Yukari to get some rest.

Muffin used her trunk to pull at Yukari’s dress, prompting the latter to wave her off and croak, “M-Muffin, stop…I-I’m fine…”

Yukari pretended not to hear the tapir chirp in protest. This mantle wasn’t going to dust itself and she still had the kitchen to clean and weeds to pull. Nothing was going to stop her from getting her work done; not even Muffin’s concern. She wouldn’t stop until this castle was spotless for herself and the Clockwork-no, Lindar. Even if she ended up keeling over, she’d make herself useful.

She had to stop when a violent coughing fit made her hunch over. She was to the point of wanting to retch, but held it in as to keep messes minimal. Scrubbing a carpet was hard enough as it was and she didn’t have the strength to work a brush. She finally forced herself to stop coughing and took several labored breaths. What was wrong with her today?

Another tug at her dress finally convinced Yukari. She huffed, “Y-You’re right…M-Muffin. I-I-I should…I-I should g-get to b-bed…”

As Yukari put the feather duster down and made her way to the foyer, something suddenly sapped her strength. It only took a few steps forward for her to collapse onto the floor. The last thing she understood was Muffin’s frantic chirping.

Lindar, meanwhile, stepped out of his underground workshop in search of a tool and spare gears. The first place he had in mind was his room and he knew Yukari wouldn’t move anything. After the incident those few days ago, she didn’t even dare ask to enter his room. A sigh exited his nostrils at the thought, but he had to shake it off and get something done. But he stopped short of grabbing the stair railing when he heard the frantic chirps. 

_‘What does the mutt want now?’_ Lindar figured the tapir wanted food. But the growing desperation in the cries told him something was wrong. He headed for the fireplace and found Yukari sprawled across the carpet. 

“Yukari, what happened!?”

There was no response from her. Lindar knelt down and cradled her upper body, which finally made a response in the form of a weak grunt. He placed the back of his bony hand against her forehead and found it was like fire; too hot even for a dragon. He knew she looked paler than usual that morning, but never realized she was this sick. Did she literally work herself sick? If he didn’t do something soon, she would succumb to her fever. He needed to get her to bed and fast…

He ignored Muffin tugging at his sleeve and pointing to the front doors, focusing on getting Yukari in his hold. In spite of his frail arms and legs, he mustered up the strength to lift her bridal-style and rush towards the stairs. Part of him felt shock that he had her this close to him, but getting her well regained position as top priority. Getting her to bed would be easy; what was he supposed to do after that? He never had to learn how to alleviate illness and the only person who knew how wasn’t here anymore…

Lindar nudged the bedroom door open and carefully tucked Yukari into the canopy bed. Small whimpers emanated from her throat followed by violent coughs. She looked so pitiful, prompting a feeling of guilt creeping in Lindar’s mind. He immediately rushed out and fetched a damp cloth and a pan of cool water. But that wouldn’t be enough.

He laid the cloth on Yukari’s forehead and watched her breathing become labored. He patted her shoulder to soothe her, but she was already in the throes of a fever dream. As she clutched at the blankets, she could hear her faint whimpers.

“…U-U-Uncle…U-Uncle…L-Lateef…Uh…L-teef…”

Lindar felt guilt creep through his mind. To him, she wouldn’t be in this state if he didn’t shoulder all the work on her. Or let her get so homesick. As much as he hated leaving the castle, it was life or death. He needed to get some sort of medicine.

He rushed to the doors but stopped to face Muffin. He had a scowl to match hers, but he swallowed his dislike for her and stated, “Stay and watch over her. I’m going to get her some medicine.”

Muffin squealed, which Lindar knew was her demanding he take Yukari home. He growled and argued, “She’s in no shape to leave, if you didn’t notice! Now just watch over her!”

Lindar glanced back towards the direction of Yukari’s room and sighed sadly. He grabbed his cloak and cane and made a frantic flight to town. He just hoped he wouldn’t be too late.

* * *

To Bianca’s chagrin, the Sorceress decided to observe them today.

It was only a matter of time before the Sorceress wanted to view the prince and the dragoness herself, she knew. Still, Bianca wanted to have privacy so she could give them encouragement from her end. Something else she noticed was how little her mistress paid attention to the prince. He was the one cursed, after all. Instead, all her attention seemed to be on the dragoness. The very sick dragoness she could see lying in bed.

_“She’s in no shape to leave, if you didn’t notice! Now just watch over her!”_

Both of the watched the prince leave the squealing tapir behind. If it was up to Bianca, she’d find a spell to cure the dragoness’ affliction. But she trusted the prince to go and find a medicine to help her. The Sorceress, on the other hand…

Purple lips curled into a sneer and teeth bared, the reptilian sorceress shouted, “You idiot! You’re leaving the beast in charge!? Don’t just let that pure heart die!”

She soon noticed the odd look the younger sorceress gave her, prompting her to cover her tracks. She cleared her throat, plastered on a sympathetic look, and spoke softly, “I mean…he must hurry if he hopes to save her. If he succeeds-and I hope for his life he does-this will be a great lesson on selflessness!”

Bianca could hear the growl in the Sorceress’ voice when she said she hoped for his life he did. She didn’t know why she was more than interested in the dragoness. She put it in the back of her mind for now; she just prayed the prince wouldn’t run into any trouble on the way.

* * *

Lindar ensured his hood fully concealed his face before he entered the town’s gate. He hoped that, as usual, few would pay him notice. He knew he garnered a reputation as a mysterious beggar buying food or the occasional tools once in a while. One or two dragons offered him money that he hastily turned down. The rest would do their best to avoid him. Today, he had to stop being a creature of habit and venture to new places.

He needed medicine for Yukari. Some fresh tea would also help. He needed it all quick. Though he pretended to be an old dragon leaning on a cane, his steps were brisker and he nearly knocked a purple fledgling and a slender cheetah over.

“That’s the fastest I’ve seen that beggar guy move,” the purple dragon chuckled.

“Yeah, he probably doesn’t need that cane anymore,” the cheetah jested.

Lindar rolled his eyes. Kids these days wouldn’t last an hour with his condition. He just kept moving and hoped to reach the clinic. If he couldn’t get to the café afterwards, he heard of a large green dragon specializing in herbs and tea leaves. Was his name Useni? 

He stopped and hid himself against a wall when two dragons approached. He knew the green one as the town’s mayor, Nestor. The sagely, bluish one…he couldn’t place him. He looked so sad, even as Nestor tried to lift his spirits. Lindar waited for them to pass by, but something exchanged between them caused a weight to drop into his stomach.

Nestor patted the blue dragon’s shoulder and assured, “Lateef, we’re still doing everything we can to find her. But you also have to consider the possibility-“

“I appreciate everything you’re doing, Nestor…but I believe she’s still alive,” Lateef argued tiredly. “Yukari has to be alive somewhere…”

So…that was the uncle Yukari kept calling to. Lindar swallowed a lump in his throat and pressed forward with greater haste. If he didn’t get Yukari well, she’d never see him again. Guilt caused a stinging in his chest, but he hissed through the pain and marched forward. He ignored the stares, ignored the group of gossiping fauns giving him dirty looks. Up ahead, he found a large green dragon with reddish hair giving a bag of tea leaves to…oh, no.

“Here are the tea leaves you needed, Gavin!”

Lindar felt a rush of energy within him and hobbled to the two dragons. He prayed hard that Gavin wouldn’t see his face, or things would get ugly. He hastily cleared his throat and made his voice sound aged. He begged, “P-Please, I need some of that tea! I-I’ll pay whatever is needed!”

Useni and Gavin looked at the ‘beggar’ in confusion, the former finishing the exchange and stating, “Calm down, sir. I’ve got more; just give me a moment.”

To Lindar’s relief, the green dragon had another bag of tea in his cart. Gavin, meanwhile, stared at him with observant eyes. The muscular blue dragon teased, “Don’t get your whiskers in a bunch, old timer. Useni’s got you taken care of.”

_‘Prodding me like always, huh?’_ Lindar wasted no time in grabbing the bag of tea from Useni and paying a generous number of gems. As he made the exchange, he didn’t know that he turned in a way that Gavin got a glimpse of his face. He didn’t see Gavin’s scales turn ashen when he turned to leave and find the clinic. He ignored Useni asking Gavin what was wrong.

He pushed past a lavender dragon carrying scrolls and a very-polite yeti before finding the clinic. A sigh of relief flooded out of his mouth and he hobbled to the entrance. He knew what he was getting into, but he had to take the risk. Sure enough, a light-red dragoness stepped out and saw a patient off. He had to act before she closed up shop. He all but sprinted when he went to her and caught the edge of her coat.

Lindar disguised his voice again, begging, “I need medicine! I-It’s urgent!”

Cheyloe studied the hunched-over dragon skeptically, observing, “Sir, you don’t look or sound sick. I don’t-“

“It’s not for me! It’s…it’s for my friend,” the disgraced prince insisted. “Please, if I don’t get this medicine, she could die!”

Cheyloe heard the urgency and panic in his voice and knew then he told the truth. It would help if he had said friend with him, but perhaps she was too sick to be moved. Holding her hands up in a calming gesture, she asked, “All right…what are her symptoms?”

Lindar got his mind under control and thought on it, finally answering, “U-Uh…high fever, violent coughs, s-she collapsed from weakness…a-and she started having fever dreams. She may have some chills, too…”

The doctor stood in thought after hearing the symptoms before holding a finger up in a ‘wait here’ motion. Of course, she would make him hurry up and wait…like always. Lindar watched her disappear into the clinic; part of him thought she saw him as a lunatic and left for help. Not that he would blame her. To his relief, she came out holding a bottle with a fuchsia-colored liquid in it. 

Cheyloe gingerly handed him the bottle, explaining, “Make sure she takes two spoonsful of this every day until her symptoms are gone. She’ll need plenty of liquids and rest, too. And keep plenty of blankets on her so she’ll sweat any toxins out.”

“T-Thank you,” Lindar sighed.

Before he could leave, however, Cheyloe insisted, “But it’s probably best that I accompany you and make sure she’s okay.”

Lindar paled more than usual. He hastily shook his head and insisted, “N-No, no, that’s okay! Don’t trouble yourself; I’ll have her taken care of!”

“Sir, please, it’s no trouble,” Cheyloe argued. “If she’s worse for wear, I can get her to my clinic.”

“I-It’s fine,” Lindar shot back.

“Sir-“

Lindar finally cried out in his normal voice, “Cheyloe, I said no!”

The dragoness stepped back in horror at the voice she heard. She hadn’t heard that voice in over three years, but how was that possible? “H-How did you know my…no, no i-it couldn’t be-“

Exasperated, Lindar grabbed a handful of gems and shoved them into her hands, commanding, “J-Just take my payment and leave it at that!”

Right then, Cheyloe managed to get a glimpse of the face under the hood. She audibly gasped and almost fell back into the clinic window. Nothing more was said as she watched the so-called beggar leave. Her heart pounded out of her chest and the voice echoed in her mind. She didn’t even hear her husband’s voice calling to her. 

“Cheyloe,” Gavin cried as he ran to her, “Cheyloe, you won’t believe this! I-I think I just ran into-“

In monotone from the shock, Cheyloe answered, “He was just here.”

Gavin stared at her for a long minute before looking back into the town’s crowd. Unfortunately for them, the beggar was gone. Now, they knew this wasn’t any common beggar. They knew this was someone they’d presumed dead over three years ago. And from what Cheyloe gathered, he wasn’t alone. 

But who was this friend of his?

* * *

Lindar had to remember exactly how much tea leaves to put in the cup as he added boiling water. He hadn’t checked on Yukari when he first returned, busying himself with fixing tea and preparing the medicine. Even from the kitchen area, he could hear that annoying tapir calling him. As much as he wanted to tell the creature to stuff it, he had a bigger priority on his hands. That was helping Yukari recover.

To his relief, she was still breathing. She spoke incoherent words from her fever and had one hand clutching her burning head. But she wordlessly obeyed when Lindar administered the medicine-although she stuck her tongue out in disgust-and had her take a few sips of tea. Once she began calming down, she fell asleep. Lindar took the chair from the vanity and sat by her bedside, silently watching. Silently feeling more guilt send a burning pain through his chest.

He blamed himself for her ailment. She worked so hard to maintain this castle in such a short time, and what did he do? Nothing but escape into his own world or sulk. And it was clear as day the stress she held from being separated from her home and her uncle. Why didn’t she just ask him for a break? Was she really unable to say no…or was she still intimidated by him? The thought saddened Lindar. He knew he had to do something to help her with the workload. And to help her stop being afraid.

It was hours later that Yukari woke up. Her eyes looked so tired, but her clarity returned. Of course, the first thing she asked was, “W-What…happened?”

Lindar was relieved to hear her address him. He wanted to lean forward and hug her, but he left her be. Instead, he grabbed another damp cloth and put it over her forehead, answering, “You…you were very sick, Yukari. I found you collapsed by the fireplace. I-If I hadn’t gotten that medicine…”

He didn’t finish when he saw the dawning realization on her face. It was best to change the subject. He leaned over the bed and looked her in the eyes, whispering, “Yukari…forgive me for shouldering too much on you. If you needed a break, you were more than welcome to ask me. Don’t…don’t let what happened concerning my room keep you intimidated.”

Yukari didn’t know how to respond at first. It wasn’t just that incident; she just wanted to be useful. She didn’t want to be dead weight to anyone or cause disappointment. Thus, she was too afraid to ask for a break or say ‘no’ unless pushed too far. That night she lost her temper with Lindar still shook her and she feared doing it again. So she kept it all bottled up. She missed home so much, too…but she bottled that up along with her frustrations. She worked more and worked harder to make herself forget her worried, but they only grew worse. No wonder she got sick…

“I-I…didn’t mean to w-worry you,” Yukari replied softly. “I-I wanted to keep working off the clock…b-but I worked harder…t-to forget missing home…a-and I don’t want to be…useless.”

“You’re not useless, Yukari,” Lindar argued. “You’ve been a great help. I just wish I showed more appreciation for it sooner.”

Then an idea came to him. Unlike the night they first met, he knew why it came about. He wanted to ensure that Yukari felt at-home here…and that she wouldn’t have to do things on her own. Starting now, he would stop doing nothing and help. But to do that…

“Yukari…I’d like to make another deal with you.”

Yukari couldn’t help but gulp. Her throat itching, she hoarsely asked, “W-What would that be?”

The look on his face told her this meant business. Lindar kept himself leaning forward and kept eye-contact with her, but this time placed his hand over hers. He spoke firmly when he offered, “I would like you to teach me how I can help you with maintaining the castle. Teach me how to cook meals, to do laundry, whatever you trust me with. I’ve put it all on you long enough. In exchange…I’ll teach you how to be assertive and have confidence in yourself. I’ll teach you to not be afraid to put your foot down.”

Licking his dry lips, he averted his eyes for a moment before adding, “I want you to like yourself enough to do that. Take it from someone who knows…”

The dragoness didn’t know how to take it at first. Slowly, however, she realized the weight of his words. He was alone because of his icy demeanor and harsh words; something he wanted to change. Apart from Lateef and Muffin, she was also alone because she was too afraid. She didn’t want to be ridiculed or taken advantage of or hurt…and she wanted to change that. It looked like she and Lindar were more alike than she realized. Maybe it was time to take a leap of faith and take up his offer.

“I…w-well, I’m…not the best teacher,” Yukari bashfully admitted, “b-but…I’ll do my best. J-Just don’t let me…get too harsh with you.”

Lindar found himself chuckling. He assured her, “Well…I’ll let you and you alone put me in my place if it’s needed. I’ll do my best to be a good student…and I’ll do my best to be a decent teacher, too. But starting today, focus on getting well. The castle will survive a day without cleaning.”

Yukari didn’t respond. Her eyes already closed and she slipped back into slumber. Lindar decided perhaps he could sneak in some sleep as well. Helping Yukari with the worst of her illness-and running into old faces-exhausted him more than being without his heart. Just the thought of it left an odd taste in his mouth.

His heart…would he ever get it back?


	11. Chapter 10: Awe and Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lindar decides to help Yukari feel more at home in his castle by opening the doors to a few rooms. He also decides it's time for another visit to town, this time to personally talk to a certain dragon to alleviate his fears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everybody had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Here's another chapter up, and I've finally gotten back to writing new Spyro drabbles (and the older ones will be back up and running, too)! In the meantime, I'll also be getting things rolling for another new story set in the Clockwork King universe! I'll have more details later. Until then, enjoy!

Chapter 10: Awe and Comfort

The days of summer came to a close and autumn settled in. Brightly-colored leaves littered the castle grounds and brought some life to the once-dreary place. It was fortunate for a certain prince that the castle was so secluded, preventing nosey dragons and other townsfolk from gawking at the leaf-covered courtyards. He always viewed the leaves as nothing but a mess. These days, he didn’t have much complaint.

Lindar leaned over his balcony and stared down at the courtyard. He watched Yukari silently stroll through the courtyard, the leaves crunching under her feet. Muffin trotted by her side and stopped every few feet to kick leaves up. The dragoness would laugh at the tapir’s silliness, but would fall back into silence and take in her surroundings. Lindar figured she wasn’t used to having a day without work. It was at his suggestion after she recovered from her bout of illness, during which he asked her how to prepare a few simple meals. The only thing he wasn’t excited over was feeding the annoying mutt…

Yukari glanced up at him and offered a small wave, prompting him to wave back. He noticed as they spent more time together that she became less and less timid around him. Even while she was sick, he began giving her lessons on, in essence, growing a backbone. It wouldn’t be an overnight success, but he saw changes in her little-by-little. But there were some things he still didn’t know about her, and vice-versa. Did he ever ask her what her hobbies were? He didn’t show her all that was in the castle, either, and she’d been here for over a month. 

He heard a yelp and looked back down. Yukari’s dress got caught on one of the brambles in the garden, tearing a hole in it. The dragoness sighed and looked at the torn fabric, lamenting, “O-Oh, I need to do something with this garden. I-If only I had my needle and thread, too…”

It suddenly clicked. Lindar knew just what he could do.

* * *

“Um…w-where are we going?”

“I told you, it’s a surprise. We’re almost there, okay?”

Yukari didn’t know what to expect when Lindar called her inside. There were changes going on that she still had to get used to, such as not cleaning the castle and teaching him how to work the kitchen. Was there another lesson in assertiveness from him today? She just knew he led her down a part of the castle she hadn’t been before. His face and his voice told her he struggled to contain his excitement. Whatever he had in store had her anticipation running high, but surely it was something benevolent.

Yukari fiddled with her ponytail, shyly asking, “I-Is…i-is there a secret room here?”

“No, no secret room here, but I have a room to show you,” Lindar replied. But he quickly corrected, “A few rooms, actually.”

They were on the second floor of the castle, and Yukari realized that in all her cleaning that she never noticed just what rooms were here. She and Lindar stood before a set of double doors in the eastern hallway. As she went to open one of the doors, blue hands suddenly covered her eyes. There was a quiet ‘no peeking’ from Lindar’s lips and Yukari obeyed, keeping her eyes shielded as she reached forward and opened the door. Once the door was opened, Lindar removed his hands and Yukari looked inside with a gasp. 

She heard castles had these rooms called ‘boudoirs’ or ‘drawing rooms’, but she’d never stepped in one until now. A satin fainting couch surrounded by two armchairs sat in front of a set of large windows. A writing desk and a sewing table sat in front of a large bookshelf, a barely-touched sewing kit and spinning wheel not far away. Yukari could imagine this place as a means of escape from daily stressors. Funny enough, it reminded her of how Lindar would often disappear into his own private place. That must have meant…

“It’s not fair for me alone to have a hobby room, so to speak,” Lindar confessed, scratching the back of his neck, “so I figured you needed one as well. If you need more books to read, I have a library in the western hall-“

“Y-You mean…y-you’re _giving_ this to _me_?”

The light-blue dragon smiled softly, innocently asking, “You like it?”

Yukari was on the verge of tears. Truthfully, the most she expected Lindar to give her were some days of rest and confidence lessons. She never expected him to give her a room to indulge in her hobbies. In the short time she’d been here, she’d went from a dragoness working off an accidental debt to a true resident of the castle. If only Lateef could be here to see the splendors, too. But Yukari stopped herself from thinking of her uncle, fearing sadness would ruin this moment. Instead, she smiled and let out a soft, breathy laugh.

“I love it,” she exclaimed happily.

There was the urge to step in and start doing something to pass the time. But there was an eagerness to see these other rooms Lindar mentioned. She wanted to see what his little hideaway was, though she still didn’t feel like pushing boundaries. The decision was made when Lindar took her hand and stated, “Let me show you the other rooms, too.”

A trip down the stairs led to the main foyer of the castle where everything started. Right where the stairs split to the west and east were larger double doors. Yukari silently watched Lindar open the doors to another astounding sight: a ballroom. The closest she’d ever seen to a ballroom was the inside of one of the taverns in town. This was much bigger. Large windows gave a spectacular view of outside, and a circling balcony held up by columns gave additional access to the upper floors. There was even a grand piano left to the side. But what really had Yukari’s attention was a large, cabinet-like device with a large brass horn. It looked almost like a piano-sized phonograph…

“I-I’ve never seen a phonograph that big,” Yukari noted.

Lindar saw the device in question, noting, “Oh…that was a little project of mine. I stopped working on it a few years ago…but I’ve suddenly gotten some motivation to finish it. What good is dancing if you don’t have music?”

Yukari didn’t want to admit that she didn’t know how to dance, but the look in her eyes obviously gave it away. Lindar’s expression fell and he asked, “Have you never been to a dance before?”

“U-Um, well…no. I-I always stay home when there’s a dance in town,” the pastel-pink dragoness confessed.

Lindar pretended to sigh in exasperation, but flashed a playful smile and breathed, “Well, I guess that’s one more thing I’ll have to teach you. It’ll be beneficial in your confidence lessons.”

Yukari opened her mouth to protest, but Lindar once again led her to another room like an excited child. This time, to her surprise, they headed for a door leading underground. She feared he would be showing her the dungeons and happen upon the bones of some forsaken criminal. Instead, the small wooden door led to something unexpected: a quaint workshop. There were tools lying on a large table along with gears and springs. Clock faces and cuckoo birds were on the shelf, waiting to be used. It dawned on her that this was where all the clocks he made got their start. This was Lindar’s hobby room.

“This is my little place of tranquility,” Lindar began, wistfully placing his hand on the wooden table. “Even as a fledgling, I often came here to escape my troubles. I couldn’t escape all of them, though…”

Yukari wasn’t going to pry in terms of what those troubles were, but they obviously had to do with his previous attitude and isolation. She didn’t dare try to make him relive any memories by prying. Instead, she complimented, “A-All the clocks you’ve made are beautiful…s-so it was time well spent.”

If Lindar still had his heart, he would have blushed. He could only flash a sheepish smile and reply, “Thank you…”

Hoping to get his mind off past events, he opted to show Yukari more rooms and progress on the grandfather clock. Anything to keep himself from remembering the things he did.

00000000000

When nightfall approached, Yukari found herself exhausted. Seeing the new rooms, having a sewing kit to use, and making something special for dinner-while giving a certain dragon cooking lessons-left her craving sleep. She washed up and went to retire to her room, but not before she saw Lindar making his way towards the West Wing. 

“I-I had a lot of fun today,” Yukari spoke sleepily, “e-even if it was mostly seeing rooms.”

Lindar paused in his walk and turned to the dragoness. It was comforting to him, but it was also strange how comfortable she’d grown around him. Now she looked at him like he’d just made her entire life. He struggled to find a reply, but finally answered back, “I had fun, too.”

Yawning, Yukari cast her eyes down and murmured, “I-I wish Uncle Lateef could see the castle…” Not realizing Lindar caught wind of what she said, she opened her bedroom door and quietly said, “Good night, Lindar.”

He murmured a ‘good night’ and watched her leave the door slightly ajar. She did this in case Muffin wanted to come into the room and sleep. Lindar didn’t know where the tapir was, but that wasn’t his focus at the moment. He focused on the mention of Yukari’s uncle and thought back on the saddened dragon he saw in town. He couldn’t get that blue dragon’s expression out of his head. If he had a family member missing and thought to be dead, he would be distraught, too. And he was why this Lateef was in such despair right now. 

He knew right then and there what he needed to do. He made a quick stop to his room before grabbing his cloak and cane…

* * *

He didn’t think this through. He should’ve thought to ask what their house looked like. Most of the houses in this town looked _exactly the same_.

But Lindar wasn’t about to let himself be deterred. The pride he had left in himself refused to slink back to the castle when he needed to do this. The cover of night and most residents in their homes proved beneficial for him to embark on his mission. There was no worry of seeing certain familiar faces…but still, he should’ve swallowed his pride and asked which house belonged to which person. Maybe he could…

The disgraced prince paused when his eyes locked onto one house in particular. Through the window, he could see a dragon looking down at something before turning away. A sagely blue dragon; the same one the mayor spoke to that day. Lateef.

There was a sudden spring in Lindar’s step as he hustled to the house. He had to act before Lateef went to bed or some of the townsfolk pestered him. He would’ve done this had he not been so selfish before, but better late than never. He calmed himself and tucked his cane under his arm the moment he knocked on the door. The seconds between his knocks and the door finally opening proved tense for him.

Lateef, eyes dulled from worry and shoulders slumped, opened the door and saw the cloaked beggar standing on his front steps. At this hour, the most he expected was Gildas wanting tea and a chat or one of the dragonesses offering food and condolences. This was the first he’d had the town’s mysterious beggar arrive. He truly hoped for a minute that it was his missing niece. But once again, his hopes were dashed.

“Can I help you, sir?” Lateef asked.

Lindar cleared his throat and locked his eyes onto the older dragon, beginning, “You’re Lateef, correct? I was desperately needing to talk to you.”

Lateef rubbed his eyes and answered, “I’m sorry, sir, but it’s late. If you need a warm drink or some food, I can-“

“It’s concerning your niece.”

Lateef’s blood went cold. He didn’t know who this beggar who came and went was, but he was still desperate for answers on Yukari’s whereabouts. Or whether or not Yukari was alive. And it didn’t sound like this beggar said it as means to get food or drink. He wanted to know what he knew. Therefore, he stepped aside and quietly beckoned, “P-Please…come in.”

Lindar stepped inside and felt the warmth of a fire. But it couldn’t get rid of the cold that came from absent family members. It was best for him to tread carefully as to not cause Lateef to suffer a breakdown. It was why he brought his secret weapon after seeing Yukari off to bed. Without being told, he took a seat and watched Lateef prepare some hot tea. Only after the sagely dragon brought him a cup did he decide to start speaking.

“I know I’m just a beggar to the town,” Lindar began, disguising his voice again, “but…I am truly a servant of the Clockwork King.”

It was a lie, but that didn’t matter right now; it was enough to get Lateef’s attention. The older dragon nearly spat his tea out at the revelation. He stared at the so-called beggar incredulously and asked, “Are you telling me that this demon is real?”

Lindar cringed at the word demon, but confirmed, “He is indeed real…and your niece is with him. I have proof.”

He reached into the pocket of his shirt and brought out his enchanted pocket watch. Flipping it open and exposing the mirror, he commanded, “Show me Yukari…please.”

There was a tinge of longing in his voice that he couldn’t explain, but pushed it aside as he turned the pocket watch around. Lateef stared at the watch in awe as the image swirled into clarity, and Lindar caught a quick glance of it, a ghost of a smile on his face. The image showed Yukari, sleeping peacefully in the canopy bed, no signs of distress on her face. Lindar let Lateef cradle the pocket watch in his hands and stare at the image of his niece.

“Y-Yukari,” Lateef murmured, tears pooling in his eyes, “y-you’re alive! O-Oh, thank heavens!”

“She came to the Clockwork King’s castle for shelter from the storm…though a little property damage was done,” Lindar explained as Lateef handed him the watch back. “She promised to work off the damages, and he’s provided her with food and shelter. He tried to make her go back home, but…”

Lateef cast his eyes down and finished, “…she never breaks her promises. That sounds just like her.”

Lindar found himself smiling once again. “And her very loyal, if not highly-annoying, tapir is there, too. But Mr. Lateef…the Clockwork King is not who everyone says he is. He’s not a malevolent demon wishing to cause harm. He’s…he’s truly a lonely and pathetic dragon just needing someone to put him on the right path. Your niece is the first person to see me-I mean, my master for the dragon underneath.”

He sat his cup of tea down and looked the older dragon in the eyes, adding, “And he promises to take good care of her so she can come back to you.”

Lateef sat silently and processed this information. There was a small part of him that already presumed Yukari was dead. But there was no deception in this dragon’s voice; seeing the image of his niece convinced him it was all true. No matter where she was, knowing Yukari was safe and not in pain satisfied him. He still preferred her and Muffin home, but if this Clockwork King kept his word, she would come back at the right time. However…

“I’ll be sure to hold him up to his promise, just as Yukari is being held to her promise,” Lateef spoke with a tinge of reluctance. “Just as long as this old dragon can eventually visit…that is, if she’s to stay for a while.”

Lindar wasn’t for sure yet if allowing Lateef to visit would be safe. If the townsfolk assumed Lateef disappeared, it would cause total panic. That ran the risk of them hunting him down and killing him if the curse didn’t first. But he didn’t have the right to deny the dragon seeing his niece, either. He would have to tell him something that would pacify him for now. And perhaps Yukari could have something arranged should he discuss it with her.

“I will give the suggestion to my master to run by Yukari,” Lindar quickly answered. “Speaking of whom…I mustn’t worry them. I should be returning soon. I thank you for your time, Mr. Lateef.”

As Lindar got up and headed for the door, Lateef halted him with a calm, “Remember, I’ll hold you to your promise to keep her safe…Clockwork King.”

The disgraced prince’s eyes widened. He wanted to question Lateef on how he figured it out, but his little slip-up was an obvious answer. Or maybe he knew the moment he came here. He didn’t know. He only gave Lateef a nod of confirmation before leaving the residence. If things continued to go well, perhaps he would consider getting Lateef to the castle. For now, he was just content with having Yukari and that annoying tapir around.

He suddenly collided with something, an older voice saying, “Oh, pardon me, sir!”

Lindar immediately looked up and regretted it. He didn’t have time to react when Gildas locked eyes with him and gasped. When Gildas opened his mouth to call his name, he seized the moment to flee into the darkness and back to the castle. Now that was _three_ familiar faces who saw him.

Gildas looked like he was about to have a heart attack. He was on his way to check on Lateef when he saw the beggar exiting his residence. He never would’ve expected the beggar to be _him_. What was he doing at Lateef’s residence? And what happened to him that his eyes looked so sad and bordered on lifeless? 

His voice hushed, Gildas weakly called out, “…Prince Lindar?”

* * *

The castle doors shut with an audible click. Lindar sighed in relief and threw his cloak and cane to the side. For all his care, he started to get careless the more he went into town. First Gavin, then Cheyloe, and now Gildas recognized him. For all he knew, any others who flocked to town would end up seeing through his disguise and bring back unpleasant memories. He would just have to be more careful from now on and make sure they didn’t know Yukari was here…

He found himself shivering, his thin body craving the fireplace. He would sit in his favorite chair and warm up before retiring to his room. But when he entered the fireplace room and looked in his chair, he found an unpleasant sight: the mutt.

Glaring at the tapir, he pointed to the floor and commanded, “Oh, no, that’s _my_ chair! You’re not allowed in it! Out!”

Muffin woke from her slumber and glared back, growling in defiance. But Lindar was just as stubborn. He once again commanded, “I said out! Now!”

After a tense moment, Muffin begrudgingly complied and plopped down from the chair. Only when the light-blue dragon sat down did she blow the tapir form of a raspberry. Unfortunately, she wasn’t about to disturb Yukari’s slumber to tattle on him, so she decided to irritate him by staying by his side. Yukari may have softened up to him, but she wouldn’t. Not after he made her cry.

There was quiet between the two, only broken when Lindar muttered, “…She’s really something, isn’t she?”

Who was he talking about? Muffin perked her ears up and figured he started talking to himself. Unfortunately, she knew he addressed her. Why was he trying to make small talk with her? She only narrowed her eyes at him as he continued, “I can see why you’re so protective of her…and why Lateef is so worried over her.”

_‘Lateef…did he go and see Lateef?’_

Lindar leaned to the side and rested his head in his hand. He almost laughed at the irony that he started confiding in a creature that obviously despised him. But for reasons he couldn’t explain, he couldn’t say this to Yukari; not yet, at least. It was easier to pour the empty hole in his chest out to something that couldn’t talk. He really had fallen to his lowest. He murmured, “I know you and I don’t like each other, but at least we can agree on how we feel about Yukari. It’s funny…when she first came here, I tried everything I could to get her to leave. Now…I can’t imagine her or you not being here.”

Muffin had to be dreaming. She could understand liking Yukari around, but her, too? After how much grief they gave each-other, she imagined him tossing her out the first chance he got. Yukari’s adoration for her must have rubbed off on him. Or he genuinely liked having her around and pretended not to. Whatever the case, she found herself tuning herself in to what he had to say.

“I’ve spent over three years alone and grew to like it. Now I’m absolutely terrified of being alone,” Lindar confessed quietly. “So I plan on keeping my promise to Lateef…for his sake and Yukari’s sake.”

Lindar closed his eyes and sighed again. The feeling of something climbing into his lap snapped his eyes open, where he saw Muffin pushing herself over the armrest and plopping down in his lap. At first, he wanted to shove the tapir off and send her away. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it and he resigned himself to petting her on the head.

“All right…but just this once. Just for a few minutes.”

What Lindar didn’t realize was that a few minutes turned into the wee hours of the morning. It was then that Yukari, her face full of worry, came down to look for Muffin. She normally came to request sleeping in the bed, but the dragoness found no tapir in her room when she got up to use the washroom. She searched all over the East Wing and went to the lower floors. Her latest stop was the fireplace room.

“Muffin-“

Yukari froze and put her hand to her snout. In the armchair was Lindar, fast asleep and audibly snoring. She looked down in his lap and found none-other than Muffin, also snoring. She knew the two didn’t get along much, but seeing this sight gave her hope. And it made her want to squeal in delight. She made sure not to wake either of them and checked the fireplace. With one breath, she brought life back to the embers and looked back to Lindar and Muffin.

Lindar looked so peaceful as he slept. She reached her hand out to move his hair out of his face, but pulled back at the last second. A tiny voice in her heart told her to let a little more time pass before then. The lessons and building a friendship with him came first. If there was a seed planted for that particular feeling, it was best to let it grow. Until then, she would let him sleep…


	12. Chapter 11: Something There

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gildas gathers some of the dragons together to discuss the beggar, Yukari, and the one thing they have in common, unaware of eavesdroppers. Meanwhile, Lindar and Yukari's relationship grows further, leading to confessions of the past and Lindar realizing the feeling building inside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for delays, I've been pretty busy and got some writer's block again! The good news is I've got an update here and for the Spyro drabbles in one day, and what better day than Valentine's Day? Here, we have a gathering of dragons who all have a connection to Lindar and Lindar and Yukari getting closer and closer! Next up will be a chapter dedicated to Bianca! Until then, enjoy!

Chapter 11: Something There

“All right, Gildas, what made you interrupt my dinner date with my husband?”

Gildas rubbed his temples with a sigh and tried not to scold Anna. She had no idea he’d spent a week talking every dragon in the room into meeting here. It took some convincing, but he gathered them all here in Gavin’s currently-closed café. The townsfolk knew the café closed for only three reasons: holidays, sickness, and urgent meetings. Gavin readily agreed given what he had to share.

Apart from them, Cheyloe, Titan, and Lucas were present. There were others attending, as well. A portly blue dragon wearing a baker’s apron sat beside a fiery-red dragon with an equally-fiery temper. Another dragon sat sleepily in a chair against the wall, the turban on his head threatening to fall off. All of them had something in common, which gave urgency to why Gildas organized this meeting. 

“I think you know why we’re here, Anna,” Gildas lectured calmly. Ignoring the small huff from the lilac dragoness, the painter cleared his throat and continued, “I thank you all for coming. Gavin and Cheyloe already know, but I wanted to talk to you about the beggar frequenting town.”

The fiery-red dragon snorted, “That beggar? Given how much food he’s brought from me, he doesn’t seem to be hurting for money.”

“Alvar’s right,” the portly blue dragon agreed, “in fact, he seems to be buying more food than usual.”

“I was about to get to that, Devlin,” Gildas interrupted, a hint of irritation in his voice. Once he knew no one else would speak up out-of-the-blue, he explained, “This may seem crazy to some of you…but I believe that beggar is Prince Lindar.”

Eyes widened all across the room. Even the turban-clad dragon snapped out of his slumber in bewilderment. All of them hadn’t heard that name in years, but just the thought of him going around as a beggar-when they presumed him dead or in seclusion-left them reeling. All they had were questions, starting with why it took them so long to notice if this was indeed true.

“Do you have proof that it’s him, Gildas?” The turban-clad dragon asked.

Gildas sighed and took his glasses off, rubbing his eyes. “I got a good look at his face, Oswin. His eyes looked so sad…I don’t know if he’s still grieving over his parents or something happened after we left. I saw him exiting Lateef’s house-“

“Lateef’s house?” Lucas asked as something clicked in his mind. “Gildas, you don’t think…do you think Yukari’s with him?”

There were whispers among the group now. If the prince was indeed at Lateef’s residence, then surely, he knew where Yukari was or she was with him. But that would mean he was the rumored Clockwork King. Titan and Gavin remembered when they, Useni, and Lucas went and searched the glade. The two considered the possibility that she discovered the castle, but tried to keep Useni and themselves from going. Lucas had too much going on in his head to consider the castle. They regretted not going.

Devlin cleared his throat and spoke up, “It’s highly possible. If the prince is indeed the beggar, I’ve noticed he’s buying enough food to feed two.”

“And when he came begging for medicine, he said it was for a friend and said ‘she’ might die,” Cheyloe added. “Then he called me by name…and I got a look at his face.”

Gavin stared at the floor during the meeting. Something ate away at him ever since he saw the so-called beggar’s face. That thin face and those sad eyes didn’t belong to his former master-his friend-they belonged to someone so broken. He couldn’t get that out of his mind for the past few months. It was what prompted him to ask the piercing question.

“Do you think we made a mistake in leaving?”

Anna scoffed, “Absolutely not, Gavin! There was no need for us to put up with that tongue of his anymore! It does seem cruel that we left after the king and queen died, but…”

Her voice trailed off, leaving them all with a bad taste in their mouths. The only reason they stayed as long as they did was out of respect for the prince’s parents. They knew of the final shouting match between father and son before the former passed away. They knew his mother still had hope for him ‘til her last breath. They couldn’t take anymore from him. But what happened to him in the three years leading up to now? Did they truly do the right thing in leaving?

“Let’s just keep an eye on things for now,” Gildas suggested somberly. “The first opportunity I get…I’ll try to talk to him. But let’s try to keep an eye on Lateef, too. It’ll be Christmas before you know it.”

Unbeknownst to them, two eavesdroppers had their heads against the door. What Gavin forgot to mention was that a purple fledgling and his cheetah friend had a key to the café to take part in cleanup duty. They couldn’t help but be curious concerning the meeting, though they didn’t prepare themselves for the revelations.

Hunter looked to Spyro and whispered, “That beggar’s a prince…and Gildas and the others used to work for him!?”

Spyro pulled his head away from the door and shushed his friend. Ensuring no one heard them, he whispered back, “We’ll keep an eye out for him, too. We’ll see if he really is a prince…and maybe we can find Yukari, too.” 

* * *

As quickly as autumn came, it went. The leaves disappeared and deep snow covered the castle grounds. The cold outside used to be a painful reminder of the chilling hopelessness inside, but now it added beauty inside and out. It helped that the inside of the castle had a brighter atmosphere for the first time in over three years. 

Lindar and Yukari sat down for breakfast at the large dining table. Muffin sat next to the large windows and watched the snowflakes drifting down. During the past few months, Lindar drastically changed his attire. He cleaned himself up, trading his stained housecoat and clothes for clothes better-suited for a prince. He also combed his unkempt hair into an acceptable style, sometimes tying it back into a small ponytail. In comparison, Yukari explored more options in the available wardrobe, today wearing a burgundy short-sleeved dress. She even wore her curly hair into a low side ponytail after a compliment from Lindar. 

Lindar prepared breakfast that morning, which Yukari bragged on without stuttering or hesitation. They also had days where the dragoness offered her assistance to him working on his clocks, or they would practice dancing. There were a few disagreements now and then, but they wouldn’t stay angry for long. Lindar also warmed up to Muffin to the point of playing fetch with her or holding her as Yukari gave her a bath. In the months since that stormy evening, they found themselves very close friends.

Both finished eating, and Yukari decided to do some reading. A glance at the wintry scene outside made her change her mind; she would feed the birds instead. It wouldn’t do well to go without a cloak, and hers was too thin. She didn’t notice Lindar staring from behind before disappearing. She focused on the chill running through her scales just staring at the snow.

Someone cleared their throat and the dragoness swiftly turned around. Lindar stood decked out in a thick, warm cloak and a sly grin. In his clawed hands was a smaller, thick, fur-trimmed cloak, perfect for Yukari’s size. The look of the cloak beckoned the dragoness to let him slip it over her shoulders. The faint scent of the fur and the immediate warmth sent nostalgia through Yukari.

“It was once my mother’s,” Lindar spoke wistfully, “but it’s perfect for you.”

Yukari raised her shoulders and nuzzled her cheeks against the fur hood. The soft, warm feeling gave her comfort and gave her the drive to go out in the snow. At this rate, Lindar would have her spoiled, but she deeply appreciated it. There was such a tremendous difference from how he was; it bewildered her.

“Thank you.”

Lindar led Yukari to the snowy courtyard. The dragoness had some bird seed in-tow and scattered it, careful to avoid Muffin suddenly dashing through the deep snow. Catching Lindar off, guard, she sprinkled some seeds into his clawed hands and let him aid her. Lindar hesitated, but seeing birds flying into the courtyard was enough to change his mind. Yukari grinned at the sight of the light-blue dragon surrounded by birds.

She used the opportunity to sneak away to a nearby tree. Lindar noticed, however, and felt the smile on his face falter. Over the past few months, the disgraced prince felt something growing inside him. There was something there, but he couldn’t say what it was. He just knew that the more time he spent with Yukari, the more the feeling grew. The more the feeling grew, the more he felt dull pain in his heartless chest. The more he felt this pain, the harder he fought against it now. It was a feeling he felt before, but it left him burned and bitter. Now it felt stronger in Yukari’s presence, more than he’d ever felt it before…and it left him with joy and hope. He hadn’t felt such a thing ever since his life fell apart those years ago. But Yukari…she couldn’t possibly have the same feeling.

Yukari, however, pulled her hood off her head and began pondering. For a few months, her feelings concerning Lindar started changing. There was something there, indeed, but she never felt it before. When she first came here, she did what she needed to do to get away from the Clockwork King persona. If anything, she already figured she worked the grandfather clock off long ago. She could leave Lindar…but she had no desire to. She couldn’t imagine herself being away from him now, and that feeling grew the more time she spent with him. This new feeling overpowered the fear and lack of confidence in her heart and she felt happier than she had before. But it was silly to think Lindar could have the same feeling.

The dragoness quickly returned before Lindar grew worried. By this time, the birds finished their meal and left, leaving the disgraced prince to start heading inside. But when he took a step backwards, Muffin rushed by and tripped him, causing him to fall backwards into the snow with a yelp. He lay on the ground, his arms, legs, and wings sprawled out, not saying anything when Yukari stood over him. 

There was silence, and Lindar feared she would fuss over him possibly catching a cold. To his surprise, Yukari took a few steps away before letting herself fall backwards and mimic his pose. The plopping sound she made in the snow started a chain reaction; a snort out of Lindar, then a chuckle, then full-blown laughter. The cold underneath them didn’t matter at that point. They laughed to the heavens and gazed at the sky as they lay head-to-head. 

“You’ve started getting a silly streak,” Lindar jested.

Yukari giggled, “And you’ve laughed more since I met you.”

Their laughter died down, but their eyes stayed glued to the winter sky and all its beauty. In their enthrallment, both dragons slowly reached their hands up and interlocked their fingers with one-another’s. They touched one-another’s hands before, albeit briefly, but they never did this or held on for so long. Only when Muffin loudly chirped did they realize what they did and break away, sitting up abruptly before turning to look at each-other.

“I…,” Yukari trailed off.

With a feigned cough, Lindar decided it was best to change the subject. “Let’s head in before we freeze our scales off, shall we?”

Lindar hurried inside the castle and felt his head swim. If his heart remained in his chest, it would be pounding from what just happened. He felt excitement and wanted to slap himself at the same time. But she didn’t recoil or let go. And if he turned around, he would’ve seen Yukari keeping her eyes glued on him and that her head swam, too. 

* * *

As morning turned to evening, quiet snow fell outside the castle and chilled the air further. That was enough of a reason for two dragons and a tapir to sit by the fire until bedtime. 

Instead of tea, Yukari found and prepared some hot chocolate for herself and Lindar. Both had warm blankets draped around their shoulder and a quilt bed was made for Muffin to sleep on as they ignored the armchairs in favor of the carpeted floor. The two dragons pretended to forget what transpired in the courtyard, though it never left their minds. They distracted themselves with lighthearted conversation and the crackling of the firewood.

Lindar absorbed the warmth of the fire into his thin body. He leaned back slightly, using his tail to keep balanced, and decided to confess, “I have to be honest…I enjoyed myself today. I don’t think I laughed so much since I was a fledgling.”

Yukari, her curly hair loose and hanging down, wore a grin on her muzzle. She mimicked his posture and agreed, “I…I don’t think I have, either. I can’t remember having so much fun in the snow except when my parents took me out.”

The mention of parents brought a pause between the two. Yukari suddenly thought back on the portrait in Lindar’s room. The two adult dragons and the baby dragon…it was obvious now that Lindar looked like the two dragons combined. She told herself before she didn’t want to pry too much, but what happened to them? 

“S-So…what are your parents like?”

The question made Lindar tense up. He was to the point that he struggled to remember the good memories of them; he could only remember the painful memories before they passed. Said memories used to fill him with anger towards them-towards his father, especially. Now the memories served to induce guilt and make him question what he could’ve done different. He still wouldn’t-or maybe he couldn’t-reveal his curse…but he trusted Yukari now to tell her about his parents.

“Well…my father could be a stern dragon, but he always tried to set everyone on the right path. My mother was very caring to a fault, and she could never bring herself to hate or be angry with anyone. They were flawed, but they did their best to be there for me,” Lindar explained nostalgically. He cast his dulled eyes down with a sigh and tapped his claw against his cup. “But that also resulted in me becoming, as you put it, a selfish, spoiled brat. I was bad about making rash decisions against their wishes…but no matter how much I blundered, they still loved me.”

“Then…why aren’t they here anymore?” Yukari asked cautiously.

Lindar didn’t realize his hands began shaking until he started speaking again. He could feel the hole in his chest pulsing with a dull ache from the memories swirling in his head. He had to get it out before it ate him alive. 

“It started when I first fell in love…or rather, what I thought was love. She was a count’s daughter; I thought she was the most beautiful dragoness alive. I wanted to marry her off the bat, but my father said no. Said I was thinking with something other than my head; said she was only after our riches. We had a horrible argument before I was to propose to her.” The disgraced prince licked his dry lips and braced himself, finally confessing, “I told him I hated him. I told him I wanted nothing to do with him.”

Yukari, her face full of shock, watched him run his claws through his hair. By now, she knew he did this when he was stressed. Instead of stopping him and calming him down, she heard him continue, “Even before that, my carelessness started driving our staff away. I wagged my tongue too many times, called too many names, demeaned when I shouldn’t have. They left one by one…”

A bitter chuckle escaped Lindar’s throat. “The funny thing is…Dad was right. My so-called ‘true love’ soon decided I didn’t have enough treasure…so she left me for some temperamental lord from some other region. I was heartbroken. Bless my mother, she just kept treating me like I was still her little hatchling. But then…”

Tears suddenly cascaded down Lindar’s cheeks. The last time he had tears was after his and Yukari’s fight, but his greatest regret proved too much for his broken soul. His lips quivered when he finally admitted, “T-They both died…before I thought to tell them…I-I was sorry.”

It explained a lot to Yukari and her heart broke for Lindar. It was no wonder he was so bitter when they first met. Ironically, though their circumstances differed, she knew just how alone he had to feel. It wasn’t the best way to help him feel better, but maybe he could find comfort in knowing someone could empathize.

Yukari wordlessly took Lindar’s hand and rubbed her thumb against his knuckles, whispering, “I-If it helps…I lost my parents, too.”

Under normal circumstances, he would tell her he was sorry for her loss. But learning this commonality between them stunned Lindar. Perhaps it was why she was so skittish. It was why Lateef fretted over her like he would his own child. Lindar croaked out the question, “What happened to them?”

It was the source of all her nightmares and the dragoness dreaded sharing it. Lateef had to be the one to share the story with concerned friends for a long time. Now…now it was her turn to share the tale, as painful as it was. Taking a deep breath, Yukari recounted, “I was still very little. We all lived in a faraway town, but…Papa always had a dream of making our home in a beautiful glade. Somewhere he knew Mama and I would love. Papa had a habit of making, um, not-so-wise decisions, s-so Uncle Lateef tried to get us to stay…”

She sighed, shakily, explaining, “O-One day, Papa, Mama, and I found a glade for our future home. We were enjoying the scenery, happy as we could be…t-then…s-she came along.”

“She?”

Yukari began whimpering, waking Muffin up. The tapir chirped frantically and tried to keep Yukari from telling the tale. But the dragoness held up a hand before holding it to her chest. “A-An evil witch. M-Mama hid me in the bushes…s-so she and Papa could confront her. T-They didn’t want me to get hurt. T-The witch told them t-they were trespassing, b-but Papa wouldn’t back down. S-She took the s-scepter in her hand, a-and she…she…”

Running her clawed hands over her face and trying to steady her breathing, Yukari stuttered, “S-She killed them…a-and ripped their wings off their b-backs. I-I could hear that a-awful blue monster o-of a witch c-cackling. I-I saw it all h-happen…a-and once she left, U-Uncle Lateef a-and other villagers f-found me. M-Mama and P-Papa were buried…a-and Uncle Lateef raised me ever since.”

Lindar knew it bothered her when her stutter came back, but he never imagined it being at this magnitude. He knew the pain of losing both his parents, but he never had to watch them be murdered. Both of them were reduced to tears and he silently held her close. All his reservations about getting too close disappeared long enough to offer her comfort, and vice-versa. They just wanted to keep each-other close and grieve over their losses. But something Yukari said lingered in the back of Lindar’s mind; how she described the witch who killed her parents. Blue, cackling, wielding a scepter…Lindar’s ashen scales suddenly paled further.

It couldn’t be _her_ , could it? No, it had to be a coincidence. He did his best to forget that gnawing thought as he kept holding Yukari. In sharing their grief and the troubles of their past, Lindar felt the dull pain in his chest that came with this feeling. It was now he started to understand what this feeling was. When he was first cursed, he didn’t want to experience the feeling again in fear of further heartbreak. Now, he welcomed it back.

He was falling in love with Yukari.


	13. Chapter 12: Out of the Cage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bianca decides to take a risk and sneak out of the Sorceress' castle for fresh air. She also travels to town and meets some new faces during celebrations. This one visit causes her to start doubting and being wary of her mistress' true intentions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, a Bianca-centered chapter! I figured Bianca needed some limelight, given how invested she's been in a couple of dragons. I always figured in the original game that being around Spyro and Hunter helped plant some seeds that made her start doubting the Sorceress. After all, there's a big difference between Hunter's kindness and the Sorceress' nastiness. I applied that here a bit and figured attitude and other things would make Bianca take the scales off her eyes. Next up will be the chapter I've waited to write forever: the dance of romance! Until then, stay tuned!

Chapter 12: Out of the Cage

Bianca needed fresh air.

As the days went on, the castle she called home grew more and more suffocating. The decrepit trees and dead grass surrounding it didn’t help, either. The only enjoyment she found nowadays was observing the prince and the dragoness.

She knew better; they had names, she learned. The prince’s name was Lindar, and the dragoness’ name was Yukari. Day-by-day, they changed so much from when she first started observing them. Lindar lost his cold and standoffish personality and showed he had a warm, playful, and compassionate side. Yukari came out of her shell bit-by-bit and showed a playful streak of her own. She watched them walk through the gardens, learn to dance, have an argument now and then, even giving the tapir a bath. They looked so happy with each-other.

Bianca was jealous. She only had the Sorceress and her Rhynoc soldiers. The soldiers were more concerned with food or hitting each-other for fun. Her mistress…she started growing wary of her. 

As the months went by, the Sorceress seemed to be growing more and more obsessed with the pair. Well, obsessed with Yukari. Bianca caught a look of disgust on her mistress’ face during happy moments between the two. Wouldn’t she be happy that they grew closer? She thought the Sorceress would be happy about the prince breaking his curse, but…

She also compared the dragons’ day-to-day interactions with each-other with her interactions with the Sorceress. They started off standoffish, but opened themselves up and grew closer. She always envisioned the Sorceress growing closer to her, maybe treating her like the daughter she never had. She treated her like a screw-up, instead. Passive-aggressiveness, backhanded compliments, a tight grip around her. She just grinned and bore it to maintain her apprenticeship. Maybe she needed to look for a cursed prince to run to instead.

It was nightfall and the snow quietly came down. Bianca knew the Sorceress hated the cold. The cold made her retire to bed early as to ‘rejuvenate her beauty’. The Rhynocs wouldn’t pay her any mind, save for higher-ups like Spike and Scorch. Still, the rabbit remained stealthy as she donned a purple cloak and exited the dreary castle. 

She was tempted to find the prince’s castle herself. However, it was best to leave them be; breaking the curse upon Lindar would be left to him and Yukari. Another idea came to her: the town. There had to be celebrations going on to commemorate Christmas or the New Year. She wanted to be around someone who wasn’t a vain queen or a brainless rhino. And it would give her a reason to finally test the ‘Prism Warp’ spell. 

“All right…I saw enough of the town through observing the prince. I just have to envision it and go. Envision it…and go.”

Bianca pictured the town in her mind and felt a few magical sparks surround her body. The usual type of teleportation didn’t happen. Bianca’s body flashed and became a prismatic streak flying through the air, jettisoning towards the town. Glee filled her mind, at least until she realized she started zigzagging erratically like a drunk dragonfly. Obviously, there were some kinks to work out in the spell.

No one in town seemed to hear the screaming rainbow streak zigzagging towards the gates. Bianca’s panicked cries ceased as soon as she hit the ground and materialized with a thud. She spat a mouthful of snow out and shivered, getting up and dusting the cold powder off her cloak. Again, no one noticed her presence. She pretended nothing happened and quietly entered the town.

Some of the residents were handing out hot treats and drinks to those in need. Silhouettes in the brightly-lit tavern showed dancing taking place. Even at night, this place was bright and colorful; a welcome change from her usual surroundings. No one seemed to pay mind to her presence. A few fauns stared at her in confusion, growing upset when two satyrs looked at her too long. A large yeti carrying firewood gave her a warm greeting and a kangaroo passing out hot chocolate gave her a sample. 

“Do you see him yet, Hunter?”

Bianca turned and looked towards the marketplace, finding herself drawn in. A young purple dragon stood with a cheetah and scouted the area out. Next to them was a brownish faun wearing a green coat and crossing her arms in exasperation. Except for the faun, they were obviously looking for someone.

“Spyro, Hunter, just give it a rest! The beggar’s not been around for weeks and it’s not worth freezing over,” the faun scolded.

Spyro turned to the faun and argued, “Elora, he’s our only chance at knowing where Yukari is! Why else would Gildas say he went to Lateef’s house?”

“Yeah, and we’ll see if the beggar really is a prince,” Hunter added, glancing around for any beggars.

Bianca put her hand to her mouth. From the sound of things, the prince let his disguise slip one too many times. How no one followed him back to the castle, she didn’t know. She didn’t know why Yukari’s uncle didn’t follow him there. But she prayed no one had any intention of capturing Lindar and hurting him. Especially not those three.

“Hey, I haven’t seen you around before!”

The rabbit sorceress froze and saw the cheetah sprinting up to her. Her racing mind made her unable to conjure up another warp spell, leaving her a sitting duck with the cheetah, the faun, and the dragon. She instinctively held her hands up and backed into a snow-covered cart. “Uh, I’m not the beggar you’re looking for-“

“Were you listening in on our conversation?” Elora asked suspiciously.

“Not intentionally!”

Spyro looked the cloaked rabbit over with squinted purple eyes. He saw how she tensed up under their scrutiny, causing him to ease up. “You’re not from around here, but you’re obviously not the beggar. You wouldn’t happen to know him, would you?”

Bianca bit her lip. _‘Not face-to-face’_

As she prepared an explanation, Hunter suddenly waved his hand out and halted, “Hey, quit interrogating her! She’s probably just a tourist! Our town’s not about interrogating strangers just ‘cause Yukari disappeared!” He turned to her with a sheepish grin and muttered, “Sorry about Spyro and Elora. I’m Hunter, by the way. What’s your name?”

She already determined ‘Spyro’ and ‘Elora’ were overly-suspicious. ‘Hunter’ was friendly to the point of unnerving. Nevertheless, she sighed and fiddled her hands together, replying, “…I’m Bianca. I’m just…trying to get some fresh air. I really didn’t mean to eavesdrop, so I’ll be going.”

Before Bianca could leave, she realized the three didn’t take their eyes off her. They eyed each-other for a brief moment, as if having a silent conversation. Finally, they smiled at her, with Hunter proclaiming, “Well, what better way to get fresh air than to join in on the festivities? Come on, we’ll show you the dance hall!”

Elora smirked, jesting, “Hunter, you just met her and you’re asking her out on a date?”

Spyro joined in, teasing, “No wonder he was so eager to catch her!”

Now being taken to the dance hall against her will, Bianca wished she’d just stayed in the library. It couldn’t get any worse than this, right?

The doors opened and Bianca got her answer. Instead of the uproar and rowdy behavior from alcohol consumption she expected, only a few dragons and other townsfolk partook in ale. The rest danced the night away with glee to celebrate the holidays. Some stood clapping to the music playing when dancing wasn’t an option. A middle-aged green dragon played a piano in the corner while a lilac dragoness played beautiful notes on a violin. A young, greenish-grey dragoness merrily hit a tambourine to match the music. Bianca couldn’t help but start tapping her foot to the beat.

Hunter gently nudged her shoulder, encouraging, “C’mon, take your hood off and enjoy yourself!”

The rabbit obliged, pulling her hood off to reveal her long ears and blonde hair. The closest she came to celebrations were the Rhynocs having a little too much ale and breaking things. This was much better. While Spyro and Elora went after some leftover celebration cake, Bianca found herself taken to the dance floor with Hunter. The townsfolk watched them with amusement, ignoring that they never saw the young rabbit before. 

Soon, Hunter and Bianca were dancing with the other partygoers. There was hesitation, but Bianca began growing more and more comfortable dancing with this strange cheetah. Soon, she grinned from ear-to-ear and kept up with the beat. She’d only been here for a few minutes and already felt at-home in this town. The townsfolk didn’t ask questions, or breathe down her neck, or shoot condescending remarks, or curse princes. She had to sneak out more often.

“So, where are you from?” Hunter asked. “I’ve never seen you around town before.”

Bianca hesitated in answering, but complied, “I-I live around the forests. I’m, um, training to be a magician!”

The mention of the forests reached the ears of Spyro and Elora. Spyro was the first to push himself between Hunter and Bianca, despite Elora’s protests. The purple dragon looked at the rabbit and asked, “Wait, the forests? You live out there knowing that dragons and other people disappeared?”

Hunter hissed at his friend before looking at Bianca apologetically. “Sorry…there was someone in town who disappeared some months ago. Everybody thought the Clockwork King got ‘er, but Spyro and I think she’s actually with a prince. We just gotta catch said prince, and word is he’s going around dressed like a beggar.”

“Not to mention we overheard some of the dragons say they used to work for the prince,” Spyro whispered as the older dragons watched. “Nestor’s forbidden everybody from going deep into the forests…so maybe you can help us.”

Bianca already figured who the missing person was. She wanted to tell them she was fine and living happily with the prince, but that would reveal too much. She didn’t want to risk the Sorceress finding out she sneaked out if the three tagged along. She didn’t want to risk ruining things between Lindar and Yukari, either. Therefore, she lied, “Well, I haven’t seen a prince, and I haven’t heard of anyone missing. But maybe the prince is taking good care of her. Maybe he found her injured and gave her shelter, so he can’t be bad…right?”

“Maybe,” Elora huffed, “but I believe in a prince in disguise more than some Clockwork King. There were bad things happening to townsfolk a long time ago, and they only talked about some king for three years.”

Spyro’s face fell. “Oh, that’s right, Nestor told me. The stories about people who went to the forest witch.”

Bianca frowned, asking, “Forest witch?”

Hunter decided to tell the story, even when it sent shivers down his spine. “Everybody in town forgot about it after the Clockwork King got around, but Elora’s mom tells us about it all the time. Word is people would go to this witch in the forest for problems. Some disappeared…and others came back with something missing. They say she would do horrible things to very vulnerable people and maidens.”

Now it was Elora’s turn to look intimidated. “B-But Mom just told those tales to make me behave, honest! And so no one would go into the dark part of the forest!”

“She put curses on people, didn’t she?” Bianca asked, though she knew the answer.

“Yeah, at least that’s what goes around,” the cheetah confirmed somberly. “Elora’s mom and Nestor told us the witch always made sure they couldn’t break their curses, either, just so she’d get what she wanted. Riches, someone’s voice, their soul…well, who knows what she’d want.”

Spyro snorted and leaned against the wall, adding, “Heck, for a while, Lucas and some others thought the Clockwork King was related to the witch.”

Bianca bit her lip and cast her eyes down. “Or he was a victim of the witch.”

She said too much without being specific. She knew the three would start questioning why she said that. She had to leave now before anything else slipped, but she hated having to leave the festivities…and them. Bianca pulled away from Hunter and pulled her hood back over her head, much to the latter’s surprise. Hunter couldn’t let her leave yet, however.

“Wait,” he called, “we were just getting to know each other!”

Bianca turned to face Hunter and the others for just a moment. What they said about the ‘forest witch’ told her enough and she wasn’t going to risk creating more victims. In a strained voice, she stated, “Please…leave the prince be. She’s not in any danger, just…let him break his curse.”

Hunter, Spyro, and Elora called for Bianca, but she disappeared into the night. They didn’t know if she’d ever be seen again. 

* * *

There was another scream in the air as a prismatic streak crashed into the snowy ground. Again, it would be a while before she fully mastered this spell. At least it got her home quick. Now she had to sneak back into the dreary castle before anyone woke up.

But Bianca didn’t feel like sleeping. There were a few things she had to do first. First, she needed to check in on the two dragons. But even before that, she had to get something from the library. Why she didn’t do this long ago, she didn’t know. She needed to know more about this curse in case the worst happened. She rushed to the library and grabbed a few books to take to her room. The rabbit was careful to tiptoe past the Sorceress’ room in the middle of her journey.

With her bedroom door locked, Bianca waved her hand over her viewing orb and conjured up Lindar and Yukari’s image. Her face fell when she saw the two holding each other, both with tears in their eyes. Was there another fight? That couldn’t be it, or they wouldn’t be doing this. The longer she watched them, the more she saw this as a positive sign. 

She saw Lindar reach over and tuck Yukari’s hair behind her ear, whispering words of comfort. She sat silently and listened to them confide in each-other as their tears dried. She heard Yukari mumble something about not wanting ‘that witch’ to hurt anyone else. Then they promised to honor ‘their’ memories before they retired for the evening. The mention of ‘that witch’ made Bianca’s blood run cold. 

She opened up one of the books and frantically flipped through the pages. She finally found the page she wanted and began reading to herself.

_“The Clock Heart Curse. This curse is often reserved for those with arrogant or hate-filled hearts. Those cursed will have their heart removed and changed into a clock. The appearance will vary depending upon the cursed. They will also have a drastic change in appearance, such as a frail body, but the biggest change is pain from strong emotion. Suppressing emotions temporarily alleviates the pain. The curse can only be lifted by not only allowing themselves to love, but be loved by someone in-turn.”_

Sighing to herself, Bianca muttered, “Well, she wasn’t lying about that.”

But the book didn’t specify it had to be a pure heart. Then why would she specify a pure heart in the first place? She became more and more convinced the Sorceress didn’t want him to succeed. She was about to get her answer in the next book. Again, she flipped through the pages until she found the desired section.

_“Pure Hearts. Often found in young maidens and children, pure hearts are ideal sources of white magic. They are also effective in breaking powerful curses and combating black magic.”_

As soon as she got to the next sentence, Bianca’s face paled. _“Pure hearts are also a means to grant eternal youth and beauty, often a good replacement for or companion to the immortality-granting power of dragon wings. A pure heart must be extracted in order to utilize this power.”_

Closing the books shut, Bianca didn’t know what to think of the Sorceress now. She made the decision to keep her observations of the two dragons secret from now on. If the Sorceress asked, she would give a mundane answer, but she wouldn’t let her know that they were making progress. She wouldn’t let her mistress get in the way of breaking the curse. Or steal any pure hearts. If it came down to it, she would go and warn the two dragons of the Sorceress so they could flee. Or…no, surely, they couldn’t _fight_ the Sorceress on their own. Could they?

If what was implied of the Sorceress was true, she had to work to keep the number of victims down. It was best to start studying these curses and remedies in case she needed to use them. No more needed to be cursed. 


	14. Chapter 13: Hold Me Close

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lindar and Yukari put their lessons to good use as they have their first dance with each-other. After the months they spent together, they start realizing the feelings they have for each other. Unfortunately, Bianca's cover is blown and it could put the two dragons in jeopardy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the moment we've been waiting for. It's time for the dance between Lindar and Yukari! You might end up with some waltz music or 'Beauty and the Beast' stuck in your head (or you might listen to it when reading this chapter). There's going to be a cliffhanger at the end of this chapter, and be prepared for some angst in the next few chapters! Enjoy!

Chapter 13: Hold Me Close

As winter entered its later stages, the snow mingled with a few rain showers to make way for spring. The castle grounds alternated between frozen and muddy when the weather couldn’t make up its mind, making for fewer trips outside. But tonight, the starry night was free of clouds and raindrops and snowflakes. It was the perfect night for everything to come together.

Dinner came early for Lindar and Yukari. As soon as they finished the meal they worked on together, they retired to their respective wings and began making preparations. Considering what tonight entailed, they needed the time to get said preparations right.

Lindar shivered as he poured a pitcher of water over his head. Months ago, he didn’t care enough to keep himself clean, but he had to get himself spotless. He sat up in the bathtub, his wings and hair dripping wet, and scrubbed his scales down. He was careful not to get any water in the hole in his chest. He rinsed the last of the suds out of his hair and promptly hopped out of the bathtub, grabbing a towel and briskly drying himself off.

He paused and reminded himself why he hated looking in the mirror. The thinness in his body made him look like the living dead. The gaping hole where his heart should be was a cruel reminder of his mistakes. It mocked him, told him to give up, but he pushed past the feelings and refused to give up. He came too far to give up now. With a huff, he ignored it and scrubbed his hair and scales dry. He wrapped the towel around his thin body and looked at his reflection.

“All right…tonight’s the night,” Lindar addressed himself, puffing his chest out. “Everything’s going to be perfect. After we dance…I’ll surprise Yukari by asking her to live here forever. I’m going to offer to get Lateef and let him live here, too. Then…I’ll confess my feelings for her!”

Right then, Lindar’s chest deflated and he panicked. His blue eyes widened and he put his claws to his temples, mumbling, “No, no, I-I can’t. She may not have the same feelings…”

But what good would keeping it in and not taking a chance do? Even if Yukari didn’t share the same feelings, it was better to say something than wait too late. Not just because of the curse, but because he truly found himself having such strong feelings for Yukari. He never would’ve believed long ago that a dragoness showing up on his doorstep could do such to him. But she did, and he welcomed it.

“No…I can’t let my insecurities win anymore. I’m going to tell her.”

He wasn’t going to tell her with his hair in this shape, however; he still maintained a touch of vanity. Moving a limp strand out of his eye, he searched around to see if he still had _it_. He rummaged through a few bottles of soaps and oils, absentmindedly picking up a pair of shears, until he found a small jar. Lindar immediately opened it to reveal a gel-like substance and took a whiff. It was still good. 

Shears in hand, he carefully gave his hair a little trim. Then he grabbed a handful of gel and ran it through his locks.

* * *

“What do I wear, what do I wear, what do I wear?”

Yukari rummaged through the wardrobe to find something that wasn’t everyday dress. After she and Lindar finished dinner, the first thing she did was wash herself off in the East Wing washroom. Smelling of fancy oils and soaps, she did more freshening up and put the vanity to good use. That left her hair and her clothes. But her hair remained down and her tail tapped the floor as she frantically searched for the perfect outfit. Was there anything in there that wasn’t everyday wear?

There was no need to be fretting this much, she knew. However, this night was very important; it needed to be perfect. She couldn’t expect Lindar to take anything less from her. It was just Lindar, yes, but it needed to be a night worth remembering. Not just for their time together, but also for the fact she wanted to confess certain feelings.

_‘I’m nervous…but I’m so excited, too! Tonight’s the night…I want to tell Lindar just how much I care about him! I want to tell him I-‘_

Yukari’s scales stood on-end. What if he didn’t feel the same way? Goodness, was she sure she felt that way herself? As much as she wanted to suddenly fake being sick, she swallowed her fears and calmed down. She came too far on this journey and she wasn’t going to quit now. For crying out loud, she needed to be confident about this!

Then Yukari found it. Buried behind the everyday dresses and nightgowns was the outfit she needed. There was a jewelry box hidden behind it, too. She reached for the jewelry box first and looked at the fanciful necklaces and earrings, probably worth more than her house. A pair of earrings with crescent moons and a choker necklace caught her fancy. The pink dragoness put them on and focused back on the dress she found. Something was very familiar about the design…

“This looks like something Anna-,” Yukari began, but chuckled and brushed off, “no, it’s just a coincidence.”

She couldn’t be late. She grabbed the dress and began working on her hair.

* * *

Muffin waited impatiently in front of the ballroom doors. How long did it take for two dragons to get dressed? She was about to go and tell them to hurry up, even if it took her all night with these stairs! As the tapir started to head towards the East Wing, a sound from the opposite side halted her. She looked towards the stairs to the West Wing and felt her jaw drop. 

There stood Lindar, only she barely recognized him. His blonde hair was trimmed slightly and spiked up in an unusual style, but one fitting for him. He was clothed in a white dress shirt and black dress pants, a neckerchief with a blue brooch in the center resting on his chest. A blue tailcoat buttoned up half-way helped him stand out while allowing room for his wings. There was a gold chain hooked onto his coat and going into his pocket, showing off his air of aristocracy. In spite of the thinness in his face and body, he looked very handsome. To the tapir, he looked very much like a prince, with less of the arrogance.

Lindar straightened his neckerchief and grinned at Muffin. “What’s the matter? Am I that hideous-“

The light-blue dragon paused and felt his own jaw drop when he looked towards the East Wing. There was Yukari descending the steps to the ballroom doors, a smile on her face. Her curly hair was put in a dainty bun with a few escaped strands accenting it. She decorated herself with the crescent moon earrings and gold choker necklace. What really stood out was her dress of choice: a teal-and-gold layered ballgown with side-straps resting on her shoulders and a comfortable corset, the back down enough to give her wings freedom. The gown was long enough that the dragoness had to pick it up while descending the stairs. There was the faintest hint of makeup on her face as well. To Lindar, noblewoman wasn’t enough to describe how she looked. She looked the part of a _princess_.

Lindar soon descended the stairs and met Yukari in front of the doors. For a moment, they found themselves lost in each-other’s eyes. Yukari was the first to break the silence between them.

“You look absolutely handsome.”

Lindar’s smile grew wider. “And you look absolutely beautiful.”

The prince gave a bow and the dragoness gave a curtsy before they entered the ballroom. They walked arm-in-arm until Lindar walked to the large phonograph. With several swift cranks of the handle, a soft waltz resounded through the ballroom. Yukari wouldn’t have minded just closing her eyes and losing herself in the music. She was reminded of what was to take place when Lindar took her hand. She audibly gulped when he placed her free arm on his shoulder and his on her waist.

Lindar gave her a comforting look. “You can do this. I’m right here with you.”

Yukari nodded and held her breath at the first step. One, two, three…one, two, three. She let Lindar lead in the slow waltz and moved with the music, careful not to step on any talons. Soon, she relaxed and a smile crept upon her lips. Lindar smiled in-turn and felt confident enough to take turns leading. The step came naturally to the both of them and they whirled with the music. They remember the hours spent teaching the dragoness the basics, and the sore talons after several fumbles. They were well worth this night.

One, two, three…one, two, three. Both of them became one with the music. Yukari’s confidence soared through the roof when it was her turn to lead. At one point, they broke apart, their only connection being their hands holding each-other’s, with Lindar spinning Yukari back into his hold. The light-blue dragon had a surprise in store when he picked the pink dragoness off her feet and twirled her around. Yukari grinned from ear-to-ear, prompting Lindar to chuckle softly. 

One, two, three…one, two, thee. Their eyes interlocked. The ballroom became a blur and the music intermingled with their thoughts. Lindar saw a different dragoness from the one he found sitting by the fire months ago. Cracking through the timid shell of a pushover revealed a compassionate, smart, playful, and confident dragoness. A dragoness he tried to get rid of that he now feared being without. Yukari could see the ice and sadness in his eyes from when they first met gone. She found herself staring at a charming, sweet, bold, and gentlemanly dragon. A dragon she didn’t want to part from anytime soon.

As the music descended into its final tunes, the unexpected happened. Yukari seized the opportunity as the music slowed down to close her eyes and rest her head on Lindar’s shoulder. Lindar looked down in surprise and didn’t know what to do. Seeing how close she came to him and the look of security on her face prevented him from tensing up. Within seconds, his smile returned and joy washed over him. That prompted him to close his eyes and rest his head over hers. They stayed like this even when the music finished playing.

There was no denying it anymore. Lindar felt what he feared he’d never experience again. He finally pushed past the heart and let it back in. Little did he know, Yukari also felt the same thing; something she thought she didn’t need or deserve. No words were needed at this point to say what it was.

Love. 

* * *

Bianca couldn’t help but sigh dreamily. After all the waiting, things were finally coming together for them. She couldn’t help but feel giddy seeing them dancing and having fun. Being the teenager she was, she rested her head in her hands and gave the dreamy sigh when they embraced. It was only a matter of time now. All they had to do was say those three words to each-other and the curse would be broken. They could finally have their happiness.

The door to her room suddenly opened and the last person she wanted in there entered.

Bianca turned her head in time and gasped. The Sorceress froze in the doorway and saw what transpired in the viewing orb. The prince and the pure-hearted dragoness embracing each-other. There was a growing flame of fury in her eyes and the feeling of betrayal as she glared at her apprentice. All the times the brat stayed in her room and her brief answers made sense. She was foolish to trust a child to do this.

“Y-Your Highness-“

“So…no changes, hm? It’s wrong to lie, Bianca,” the Sorceress purred, dangerous venom in her voice. “I gave you a simple task…and you’ve been letting that snotty prince get his hands on that pure heart.”

Bianca tried to shield the viewing orb from her mistress, the look in her eyes daring her to come closer. She spoke in a low tone, “You were never going to let him break his curse, were you?”

The Sorceress grinned at her traitorous charge, looking past her at the orb showing the two dragons. “I was only joking when I told him he needed love from a pure heart. For one to just show up on his doorstep blew my expectations. But I’m not about to let it fall into his hands and have so much potential wasted. I-“

“Need it to remain young and beautiful, right?” Bianca asked angrily. “I guess dragon wings aren’t that easy to get, hm? It’s easier to snag a dragoness with a pure heart when you’re that greedy.”

“What’s made you so heroic? Yes, I’ve gotten my hands on some dragon wings. A few of them desperate enough to come for my aid got a little surprise,” the Sorceress confessed. “But I’d draw too much attention if many dragons or hatchlings suddenly disappeared. No one will miss one dragoness or some forgotten prince!”

But the sorceress-in-training wouldn’t have that. “I won’t let you kill them!”

The Sorceress saw the two dragons conversing with each-other. Her blue scales paled when she thought of what might transpire. If they said those three words, her plans would unravel. In haste, she shoved her apprentice aside and raised her bejeweled scepter, a dark chuckle emanating from her lips. Bianca stared in horror as the jewel glowed a blood-red before looking back at the viewing orb.

_“Yukari…I wanted to tell you something.”_

_“Lindar…well, I wanted to tell you something, too. You go first, please.”_

_“Yukari…I-“_

Bianca watched in horror as Lindar suddenly seized and clutched at his chest. Yukari panicked and held him as he hunched over. The prince’s knees buckled and he finally fell to the floor, almost taking the dragoness with him. He cried out in pain and nearly tore through his coat and shirt, a faint red glow underneath the fabric. Yukari desperately cried his name and tried to figure out what was wrong. One could only imagine what was happening to the precious clock at that moment. It was then Bianca decided she was done sitting around and watching. She had to do something to help them.

Adrenaline coursed through her veins when she grabbed the Sorceress’ scepter and shouted, “Leave them ALONE!”

Attempting to seize the scepter proved enough to stop its magic and break her mistress’ concentration. However, it only enraged the Sorceress further, causing the reptilian witch to violently throw her to the ground and point the scepter at her. Bianca lay on the ground and stared at the glowing jewel in fear, but at least she stopped the attack on Lindar. She prayed he was still alive.

“You made a grave mistake disobeying me,” the Sorceress growled. “I’ll have that pure heart, one way or another, and you’ll no longer get in the way.” She called into the hall, “Soldiers! Take this ungrateful brat to the dungeons!”

As the Rhynoc guards came to seize Bianca, the viewing orb kept playing for another minute. Lindar lay on the floor, his breathing labored, as his consciousness faded. Yukari picked him up in her hold and desperately shook him.

_“Lindar! P-Please, wake up! LINDAR!”_


	15. Chapter 14: A Turn for the Worse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lindar recovers from the magical assault from the Sorceress, but other circumstances prove to worsen the situation. Learning that Lateef is literally out in the cold, Yukari is determined to rescue him after encouraging words from Lindar. In doing so, she encounters the enemy that connects the two of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally got the latest chapter up, and things are getting pretty tense (if they weren't already tense before)! While I'm writing the last few chapters of The Clockwork King, I'm doing my best to work on some sketches and such related to the story, and my friend RogersGirlRabbit on dA has done some beautiful fanart for the story, too! Again, the last couple weeks were rough, but things are staring to turn around for the better! Next up will be a rescue mission and the townsfolk springing into action...all leading up to an epic battle with the Sorceress!

Chapter 14: A Turn for the Worse

Every inch of Lindar’s body ached when he woke up.

When his eyes opened, he realized he wasn’t in the ballroom. He instead saw the familiar dimness that was his room. The curtains were opened to allow light in and warm his body, aided by the sheets and quilts pulled to his neck. He put his hand to his head and found a damp cloth resting on his ashen scales. The last thing he remembered was readying himself to tell Yukari-

Lindar froze and immediately glanced over at the table. Unfortunately, the clock remained under the glass dome. Yet he still felt the feeling of his heart sinking. But from a distance, something caught his eye. Some of the cracks on the wooden surface were absent. The glass face also looked free of scratches and scuffing, like new glass was applied. Either he started going crazy or the clock started _healing_. If it was the latter, then surely his curse could be broken after all.

How could this be? Everything was going so well and that terrible pain hit him. Was he letting these feelings grow too strong? Or was that witch-

A noise caught his attention and he saw Yukari sitting in a chair. She had her knees pulled to her chest, her head down and her arms around her knees, faint snores out of her nose. Her hair was pulled out of its bun and draped over her back and shoulders. Just the way she looked told him she’d been there for a while. 

“Yu…Yukari?”

The dragoness stirred from her slumber and drowsily raised her head. As soon as it registered that he was awake, her eyes flew open and she cupped his cheek. “L-Lindar, you’re awake! I-I thought you were-“

She couldn’t bring herself to say the word ‘dead’. If he did die, it would be enough to break her. His appearance alone for a long time already made him look like the undead, but for a few moments he looked worse. It wasn’t until he started breathing again that relief washed over her. What also bothered her was how light his body was; he shouldn’t have been that easy to carry. Perhaps it was her imagination and frazzled nerves, but the dragoness swore she saw something abnormal while pulling his coat off. 

Almost hidden by his shirt…the outline of what looked like a _hole_ in his chest.

Again, it was all chalked up to an overactive imagination and frazzled nerves. 

Lindar grimaced, placing his hand over Yukari’s. He closed his eyes and let her warm touch flood through his cold scales. “H-How long was I…”

Putting the thoughts running through her head to rest, the dragoness quietly replied, “…You were out all night and all morning. It’s after noon now.” She paused and closed her eyes as well, admitting, “I-I was so afraid you wouldn’t wake up.”

For a while, Lindar believed that, too. There was a darkness around him, wrapping around so tight he thought he would suffocate. He could almost hear that witch cackling at his misery as she did when she first cursed him. The pain was so great, then it ceased. Then he could hear Yukari’s voice frantically calling his name. It dawned on him that she must have been up all night just so he would make it. He couldn’t fathom how blessed he was to have her around. He wanted to pour his soul out to her right there; tell her once and for all that he loved her. He had to let her know just in case he-

No…he couldn’t give up now. This was just a setback. He fought so hard against it lately and he couldn’t bury his feelings out of fear. Cursed or not, he couldn’t keep hiding how he felt. But this wasn’t the right time…she had enough on her plate worrying over him.

“Yukari,” Lindar began quietly, “forgive me for ruining our dance together.”

Yukari looked at him with shock before taking his hand once again. “There’s nothing to forgive. I had a wonderful time with you last night. I’m just…I’m just glad you’re okay.”

What lingered in the back of her mind reared its head full-force: what she wanted to tell Lindar last night. She didn’t know if something like this would happen again, and she didn’t want to wait too late. She hated seeing him so helpless; seeing him so downtrodden. She just wanted to sit him up and tell him what she felt from the bottom of her heart. But when she looked down, she could see Lindar about to doze off. Perhaps once he was rested…

“Lindar-“

“Get some rest, Yukari,” Lindar requested wearily. “The bags under your eyes are worse than mine.”

Yukari’s mouth hung open for a few seconds, words stuck in her throat and hesitating to comply, before she gave a solemn nod of agreement. Her weary body and mind yelled at her to comply and get a few hours of sleep. She didn’t want to leave Lindar alone, but letting him rest was important. As soon as she woke up, she’d fix them a pot of tea and talk with him over some important matters. Then once he was fully recovered, she could finally talk to him about what she wanted to say the most.

“O-Okay…but, please, let me know if you need anything.”

The light-blue dragon turned his head towards her and smiled. “…You’re the first dragon I’ll call.”

That brought a soft smile to Yukari’s face. She stood still for a moment before exiting his room, millions of thoughts running through her head. Thus, Lindar was left alone to rest and reflect on what happened. The thoughts running through his own mind made him hold his hands over the hole in his chest. He sat himself up slightly and looked towards the large portrait of his parents and his infant self. A ghost of a smile appeared on his face, his mind flooded with memories of happier times. He found happiness again with Yukari around, but he still missed _them_.

Gildas, Gavin, Cheyloe, and everyone else…he wondered if they were okay. If they even missed him…

* * *

The Sorceress was growing more and more impatient as the hours wore on.

She had no second thoughts of sending her traitorous charge to the dungeons. That was what she got when she let a goody two-shoes brat do a job she should’ve done herself. If so, she would’ve had her hands on that pure heart sooner. Worst of all, thanks to Bianca, that prince was still alive after her magic assault. Weakened, but still alive.

She sat on her throne, a bitter scowl on her face, watching the prince and the dragoness having a conversation. To her relief, neither said those three words that would break the curse. But that left a new problem: getting that dragoness away from him. While they stood little chance of combating her now, breaking the curse would give that silver-tongued prince the strength to do her harm. She couldn’t risk that. 

As long as she was around, there would be no happily ever after for those two.

“I’ve had enough of waiting around. As long as those two are together, I’ll never get that heart,” the Sorceress muttered to herself, eyes narrowing at the viewing orb. “There has to be a way to get that dragoness out in the open.”

A dark idea came to mind. A malicious grin spread on her lips and a chuckle came out of her throat. She hummed, “Show me that dragoness’ family.”

Her personal viewing orb swirled with smoke inside as the old image faded and showed something new. It showed the town in the valley outside the forest and focused on a sagely, blue-scaled dragon. The dragon stood at the window watering herbs in a flower box, sometimes glancing out in the direction of the forest. She didn’t know if this was the dragoness’ father or uncle, but she didn’t care. He was a family member…just what she needed for the next step in her plan.

The jewel in her scepter glowed blood-red as she waved it. The viewing orb showed the dragon seize and drop his watering can. The Sorceress leaned closer to the orb and whispered, “I’m in the castle deep in the forest. Come find me…find me and we’ll go home together!”

In his mind, it would sound like the dragoness. He was in a trance and slowly stepped out of his house, ignoring the concerned looks of the neighbors. His stance was rigid as he made his way to the town’s gates. The cold air would take its toll on him if this took too long, but she only needed him long enough to lure her out. The only risk was that the dragoness wouldn’t venture out and this old lizard would die. But with such a pure heart, she wouldn’t be so selfish.

One way or another, that heart would be hers.

As she got up and prepared for the next step of her plan, she failed to see what happened next in the viewing orb’s fading image. A purple fledgling, a cheetah, and a faun saw the dragon walking towards the forests and began following him…

* * *

Yukari lost count of the hours she spent in the drawing room piddling away. She tried to distract herself from her thoughts by mending a dress and one of Lindar’s shirts. She even tried to read a few fairy tale and romance books. But as the hours ticked by, she couldn’t get Lindar off her mind. She knew he would be fine and to stop worrying; she just couldn’t help herself. The quiet hours also brought someone else to mind.

She never voiced it much, but she often thought about Lateef. He was sitting alone at home, possibly fearing she and Muffin were held prisoner or dead. She hoped the townsfolk checked on him and gave him reassurance over her disappearance. Once Lindar recovered, she wanted to voice something else to him: she wanted to bring Lateef here. He would love it here, and he would know she was okay. If that wasn’t an option, she would request going to visit him. She could picture him lecturing her over scaring him, giving her a tight hug, and his surprise upon revealing the Clockwork King’s true identity. There was also a picture of him joking over how she finally took up his offer.

With a huff, Yukari put her sewing kit away and went to get fresh air. First, she would check on Lindar. She exited the drawing room and went up the stairs to the West Wing’s master chamber. She expected him to still be sleeping. When she slowly opened the door to check on him, to her surprise, she saw the light-blue dragon out on his balcony staring towards the forests. He seemed to sense her presence as he turned around to face her.

“L-Lindar…how are you feeling?” Yukari asked in a soft voice.

Despite the weariness in his body, Lindar smiled at her and answered, “I’m feeling better.” He patted the stone of the balcony and asked, “Care to join me?”

The pastel-pink dragoness stepped through the room and joined him at the balcony’s edge. From their vantage point, the sunset looked so beautiful. The air got colder, but they were able to ignore it. She felt Lindar place his hand on top of hers, and there was no pulling away this time. They quietly watched the setting sun for several moments and enjoyed their time together. However, Lindar noticed the way Yukari looked so downtrodden as she stared at the forests. 

“What’s the matter?”

Yukari looked at Lindar in surprise. It quickly vanished and she stared at the forests again, confessing, “I’ve…just been thinking about Uncle Lateef. I-I didn’t want you to feel like I was tired of being here-“

Lindar interrupted, “I wouldn’t have felt like that. I could tell you were missing him…and I ask you forgive me for keeping you here for so long. The grandfather clock was finished long ago…I just enjoyed spending time with you so much I forgot…”

The dragoness was genuinely shocked, but she couldn’t blame him. In truth, she forgot about the clock and paying it off, too. She also enjoyed her time with him…and she got to the point that she didn’t want to leave him. But that didn’t mean she didn’t want to know her uncle was okay. She fulfilled her promise…yet she wanted all of them to stay here. Without thinking, Yukari murmured, “I wish he was here…”

Lindar looked down and felt guilty for keeping her here so long. He suddenly had an idea and raised his head up. Taking Yukari’s hand, he stated, “I know a way you can check on him.”

He led her back into the room and grabbed the pocket watch. As he opened it up, he explained, “I know this sounds crazy…but you can use this pocket watch to see whatever or whoever you wish. All you have to do is tell it what you want to see.”

It did sound crazy to most. However, fairies were common in her original home, and considering how her parents died…she believed him. She took the open pocket watch when Lindar offered it and stared at her reflection. She cleared her throat and stated, “U-Um…please…show me Uncle Lateef.”

Her reflection warped and began showing an image. Yukari expected to see Lateef at home, perhaps sitting by the fire or fixing tea. Instead, to her horror, she saw him walking through the forests like a dragon possessed. He had no cloak on and she could see the shivers wracking his body. Younger dragons would manage the cold better, but the older Lateef wouldn’t fare for long. What was he doing all the way out in the forests with no cloak or scarf on? Was he desperate enough to look for her on-foot? 

“Uncle Lateef, what are you doing out there!?” Yukari panicked.

Lindar stared at the image of the kindly elder dragon and knew something was off. The look in his eyes made him think he was under a spell. He could also tell that Lateef looked ready to collapse from the cold. Yukari couldn’t lose him, too. As much as it pained him, he knew what he had to do.

“Yukari, you need to go out there and find him,” Lindar instructed.

The dragoness was astonished by what Lindar spoke. “Lindar-“

“If you’re worried about your promise, you fulfilled it long ago…so you’re not obligated to stay on the castle grounds,” Lindar explained somberly. “The important thing now is to go find Lateef and get him home; get him warmed up. Don’t worry about me…just take care of him.”

Yukari put the pocket watch down and hugged Lindar. There were no words needed to express her thanks. She got up to go and grab her cloak, but the light-blue dragon stopped her with, “Yukari, wait…take this with you.”

She watched as Lindar put the pocket watch in her hand and close her fingers over it. As much as she wanted to protest being given something so precious, she didn’t have time. She needed to get to Lateef. She looked Lindar in the eyes one last time before leaving the room. Lindar didn’t take her eyes off her until the door closed. Suddenly, he felt so alone again. He had to tell himself she wouldn’t leave forever…would she? Regardless, if she decided to return to the town with her uncle for good, he wouldn't hold it against her. He had to let her go.

Because he loved her.

He didn’t know what transpired in the East Wing. Yukari grabbed her cloak from her room and prepared to rescue Lateef. As she made her way to the stairs, Muffin appeared and pulled her tail with her trunk. She looked at the tapir and knew what she tried to say: she was going with her, wherever it was. Yukari shook her head and knelt in front of the tapir, explaining, “Muffin…I need you to stay with Lindar. Watch over him until I get back, okay?”

Muffin chirped in confusion. The dragoness explained, “Uncle Lateef’s in trouble. I’m taking him home to get him warm…and then I’m bringing him here so we’ll all be together. Until then, keep Lindar company. I’m counting on you.”

Before the tapir could protest, Yukari dashed down the steps and out the front doors. No longer bound by the promise she made months ago, she burst through the gate and took flight in the cold evening. She had to get to the other part of the forest before it was too late. She couldn’t help but give a glance towards the castle as it grew smaller.

_‘I’ll come back, Lindar…I promise.’_

* * *

Yukari flew for what felt like forever when she reached the glade.

By now, the sun had set and the sky grew dark. Clouds formed overhead to signal an approaching rainstorm. The sight brought memories back of how this all started. As much as Yukari wanted to reminisce, she had to find Lateef.

Her crystal-blue eyes found a bluish shape collapsed near the tree line on the other side. As she took a few steps closer, she could hear a familiar voice mumbling and shivering. It was Lateef! She wasted no time in gliding over to her fallen uncle and wrapping her cloak around him. She pulled the elder dragon to his feet and tried to gently wake him.

“Uncle Lateef! Uncle Lateef, it’s me, Yukari!”

Lateef opened his eyes and shook his head. The strange look that had been in his eyes through the pocket watch vision faded, clarity returning. He looked around the woods for a second until it registered who was with him. As soon as he looked to his niece, he lunged forward and hugged her tightly. Yukari immediately returned the hug and felt tears pooling in her eyes.

“Yukari…it’s really you!”

Yukari nodded and murmured, “I missed you so much, Uncle Lateef!” As soon as she let go, she wore a stern look and scolded, “We need to get you out of the cold! What were you doing out here?”

Lateef held his head and wrapped the cloak around his body, wearily stating, “I…I heard you calling for me…telling me to go to the castle. One minute, I was home…the next minute, I’m here.”

There was confusion on his niece’s face. “I-I didn’t call for you. But we’ll worry about that later; let’s go home!”

“She’s right…she didn’t call for you. I did.”

Yukari and Lateef froze at the new voice, the former more so. The two dragons heard a rustling from the woods and saw something emerging from the dark trees. As soon as Yukari saw it, her blood turned to ice. Rhino-like soldiers emerged carrying a sedan chair and a few others followed armed with weapons. The sedan chair was sat down and the passenger emerged: an overweight, blue, reptilian creature wielding a bejeweled scepter. It didn’t take long for Yukari to register who this was and for her heart to sink.

The Sorceress gazed upon the two dragons and smirked devilishly. She would be worried if this kept getting easy. She approached the trembling dragoness and hooked her magenta claw under her chin, forcing them to lock eyes. The power of that pure heart radiated from her eyes and sent excitement through her scales. 

“I was right to take such a gamble,” the Sorceress cooed. “Either you sensed he was in danger…or one of those miserable fairies gave him a viewing glass.”

Yukari whimpered in terror, finally stuttering, “Y-Y-You…y-you’re the one who…w-who killed my p-parents!”

Lateef stared at the two in horror. “She’s the one who killed Alkham and Shizuka-“

The Sorceress nonchalantly interrupted, “Now that I think of it, you do look like those two dragons from years ago. So they _were_ trying to protect something of value.” She let go of Yukari’s chin and turned to her soldiers, commanding, “Seize them, but don’t rough the dragoness up too much!”

Lateef tried to fight, but Yukari stood frozen as they were grabbed by the Rhynocs. The Sorceress felt an overwhelming sense of victory; she’d finally have that pure heart and stay young forever! She chuckled lowly as she got back in her sedan chair and ordered her soldiers to take her back to her palace. She had the dragoness…and now she could deal with that worthless prince.

As the Sorceress and her soldiers headed back into the forest, three spies watched the scene unfold. Spyro, Hunter, and Elora felt guilt for not acting right then, but they were outnumbered. That didn’t mean they couldn’t do something now. 

“We should go back to town and get help,” Elora suggested.

“There’s no time, Elora,” Spyro argued. “We’ve got to follow them and help Yukari and Lateef escape!”

Hunter agreed, “Yeah…and then we can go and get help!”

The three swiftly followed the witch and her band of soldiers. They just prayed they weren’t too late. 


	16. Chapter 15: A Call for Reinforcements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When captured by the Sorceress, Yukari and Lateef meet another prisoner and learn more on what led up to their capture. Someone they least expect comes to their rescue and they hurry to gather reinforcements. The former castle servants decide it's time to help their prince out of another jam and help stop the Sorceress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be doing some sketches for the story and the sequels (once I've stopped being distracted by Animal Crossing), but have the latest chapter until then! Originally, I was going to have it that the Sorceress disguised herself and tried to trick the townsfolk into attacking Lindar, but looking at it now, it wouldn't have made sense. Instead, I've thrown in some of Bianca's magic and another reference to a pure heart. But the next two chapters will be the epic battles: the servants vs the Rhynocs and the final battle with the Sorceress!

Chapter 15: A Call for Reinforcements

The rumbling of thunder echoed above and made the Sorceress’ palace even more dreadful. It only got worse the moment they landed in the dungeon.

Yukari screamed when she landed next to the skeletal remains of a forgotten prisoner. Lateef followed seconds later, unceremoniously shoved in by one of the soldiers. They failed to notice the third occupant sitting in the cell across from them. Said occupant looked up and gasped at the two dragons in captivity. But the iron door didn’t shut; the Sorceress walked in and loomed over the pastel-pink dragoness. Yukari could only look at her with fearful eyes.

“To think I could have had a pure heart all those years ago,” the Sorceress chortled, “but it must be fate that you wound up with that prince.”

Yukari felt her heart drop into her stomach. “Y-Y-You know L-Lindar?”

The reptilian witch ignored her question, instead raking her nails underneath the dragoness’ chin and making her wince. “I’m not going to risk that weak-minded fool coming to find you. After I’m done with him, I’ll finish things with you.”

Yukari jumped back from her hold, jostling her dress and pushing something out of the pocket. The pocket watch Lindar gave her landed on the stone floor with a ‘clink’. Before Yukari could snatch it back, the Sorceress beat her to it. The Sorceress looked over the metal shell and clicked it open, eyeing the glass and what emanated from it. Her examination proved her theory correct; those disgusting fairies took pity upon the prince. She got yet another idea.

“Aw, he must deeply care about you to give you an enchanted viewing glass,” the Sorceress cooed sarcastically.

The pastel-pink dragoness looked up at the witch, insisting, “I-I’ll give you whatever y-you want, j-just let us go a-and…a-and please don’t hurt Lindar!”

The Sorceress laughed and knelt down, tracing her nail over Yukari’s cheek. “It would be too easy to take him down immediately. Where’s the fun in that if you can’t break a dragon first?”

In a swift motion, the Sorceress sliced Yukari’s cheek, drawing blood. The dragoness shrieked and jumped back before watching the witch smear the blood on the pocket watch. The Sorceress chortled again and taunted, “A dragon loses his will to fight when there’s nothing to fight for.”

She suddenly turned to the other cell and shook her hand clean, frowning, “See what you made me do, Bianca? I actually had to get my hands dirty. I’ll let you watch me rip that heart out of her chest.” She opened the pocket watch and purred, “Show me how to get to the prince’s castle.”

While watching the appearing vision, the Sorceress waved her hand and beckoned her soldiers to follow, closing the cell door behind her. The Rhynocs roared and readied their weapons for invasion and a thirst for blood. They paid no heed to the protests of Yukari as she shook the iron bars of her and Lateef’s cell. The last of the Rhynocs disappeared down the tunnel, leaving the three prisoners to sit helplessly. They were all as good as dead.

Yukari sat on her knees and held her head down as tears brimmed in her eyes. A few sobs escaped her throat before a voice apologized, “I’m so sorry…this is all my fault.”

Yukari and Lateef both looked at the third prisoner in the dungeon; a rabbit in her late-teens. Lateef was the one to address the rabbit, asking, “Who are you, and what do you mean this is your fault?”

Bianca hesitated before replying, “My name is Bianca…and I’m…I mean, I was the Sorceress’ apprentice. I…I watched you and the prince for the past several months.” Before either of the dragons could express shock and question her further, she continued, “I never thought she wanted to hurt you and Lindar. Had I known, I would’ve tried to stop her sooner…and now you’re in this mess because of me.”

Lateef was the first to reply to all Bianca said. He looked at the young rabbit and scolded, “I don’t condone spying on others…but it sounds like you had benevolent intentions. And I believe you would’ve stopped that demon if it was in your power. She already took Yukari’s parents…she shouldn’t be allowed to take any more lives.”

Bianca looked to Yukari in shock. To think that both the prince and the dragoness before her were victims of the Sorceress…maybe the old saying about things happening for a reason was true. “Please forgive me. I want to make up for it by stopping the Sorceress…and helping you and the prince get a happy ending.”

Yukari admitted she was hurt over Bianca spying on her and Lindar. Not only that, but it led up to that awful witch finding her and going to kill Lindar. However, she sensed Bianca’s words and remorse were sincere. Bianca wanted to stop the Sorceress. Yukari _needed_ to stop the Sorceress, both to avenge her parents and save Lindar. They needed to get out of this dungeon and get to the castle before it was too late. Suddenly, all her deep-seated fears towards the Sorceress faded into the back of her mind. A burning sense of determination flowed through her veins as her jaw clenched and eyes narrowed.

Now on her feet, Yukari confidently declared, “We need to get out of here. Even if I have to melt these bars, we’re getting out of here.”

Bianca lowered her head once again. “If I had my wand, I could break the locks, but-“

“But that’s why we’re here!”

Yukari, Lateef, and Bianca all turned to the youthful voice addressing them. To their astonishment, there appeared none other than Spyro, Hunter, and Elora. The trio came up to the cells and greeted the three prisoners, the cheetah especially grinning at the rabbit. Spyro and Elora took the moment to check over Yukari and Lateef. 

“What are you three doing here?” Yukari asked in a shocked voice. “H-How did you avoid the Sorceress?”

Spyro readily explained, “We saw Lateef going into the woods. When we got to the glade, that was when she captured you. We followed behind her and came down after they left the dungeon.”

Hunter cut in, “Well, there was one guard at the door…but he really didn’t like dragon breath.”

Elora was the one to produce a key swiped from the mentioned door guard and worked on unlocking the cells. “All right, we’ve got some serious questions. For starters, is the Clockwork King really a prince?”

As soon as the first cell door opened, Yukari and Lateef bolted out, the former hugging the three rescuers. She confirmed, “Yes, and if we don’t act soon, she’s going to kill him! We have to get to him now!”

Bianca jumped out of her cell as soon as the faun unlocked it and stated, “I need to find my wand; we’re going to need it!”

As Bianca disappeared to find said wand, Lateef protested to his niece, “Yukari, even with six of us, we’re still outnumbered against her army! We need to find help to deal with her! Our only choice is to get to the village!”

Yukari would have none of it. She shook her head furiously and argued, “We don’t have time! She’ll reach his castle and he could be dead by the time we do that!”

Spyro, Hunter, and Elora saw both sides of the argument. Going to the village to get more man-or rather, dragon-and-other-creature power would be the ideal thing. On the other side, that would cost too much time, even if the Sorceress was a slow walker. They themselves didn’t know the best course of action. If they could find a way to stall the Sorceress and her army…

“It would help if we had super speed or teleportation powers or something,” Spyro muttered.

Just then, Bianca appeared with her crystal magic wand. They heard her mutter something about the Sorceress ‘leaving it at her throne, of all places’. The rabbit sorceress flicked the wand and brought it to life, and it seemed to glow brighter in the presence of the three dragons, particularly the pink dragoness. The book did say that pure hearts were ideal sources of white magic. Right now, she needed all the white magic she could use. And overhearing their conversation gave her the idea for something drastic.

“I have an idea,” Bianca offered. “I know how we can get to the village in a flash. If I can use enough magic to make the Prism Warp spell transport all of us, we can get there.”

Lateef looked at the rabbit with concern. “I’ve heard things about teleportation spells. Isn’t it dangerous to transport more than one at a time?”

“With low magic, yes…but I think unified focus and a pure heart with make it less dangerous,” Bianca explained. She looked up at Yukari with apologetic eyes, adding, “I said I wanted to make sure you and the prince get your happy ending.”

Yukari found her trust towards Bianca growing. Using a lot of magic at once put a strain on an individual; she could ask Lucas and Anna. But Bianca willing to take such a risk told her that she truly wanted to make things right. They had no more time to waste, and if this ‘pure heart’ she and the Sorceress mentioned helped boost this spell, she would do what was needed. She quietly gave the young sorceress a nod of agreement.

With that, Bianca told the group, “All right…we need to envision the village and go. Envision…and go!”

Everyone closed their eyes an envisioned the village. Rainbow-colored sparks started forming around them and their bodies glowed in a white light. It glowed brighter the more they concentrated and Bianca thought for a split-second her wand would explode. Before that could happen, the bright light exploded and a bigger prismatic stream went ricocheting out of the Sorceress’ palace. It was only a matter of whether they would arrive intact…

* * *

Gildas was the first one to see the rainbow streak zig-zagging in the night sky.

Either he was going crazy, or he could’ve sworn the rainbow streak screamed, too. He adjusted his glasses and squinted his eyes; it looked as though it drew closer the longer he looked. The painter’s eyes widened and he backed away when he realized it _was_ drawing closer. He immediately turned and ran as far as his aged joints allowed him to go. It was right when Gavin grabbed him that the streak crashed into the middle of town.

Other townsfolk saw the flash of light and exited their houses. Even Mayor Nestor came out dressed in his sleepwear to see what happened. Most expected to see a meteor in a smoldering crater. Instead, they found six figures laying disoriented on the cobblestone. Spyro, Hunter, Elora, a young rabbit, Lateef, and none-other than Yukari. The townsfolk whispered and murmured to themselves and more approached to check on the fallen six.

“It’s Yukari!” 

“Lateef’s back!”

“The young ones found them!”

“Who’s the rabbit?”

Cheyloe pushed past the crowd and looked over the six of them. She helped them to their feet before taking Yukari by the shoulders. “Yukari, you’re all right! Oh, but you’ve got a cut on your cheek-“

“No time for an exam, Cheyloe,” Yukari exclaimed as she wriggled herself out of the other dragoness’ grip, “we have an emergency!”

At that moment, Anna approached alongside Lucas and Oswin. Alvar and Devlin also came along behind them. The lilac dragoness scoffed and scolded, “Sweetie, you’ve given us a scare already! The last thing we need is any sort of emergency!”

“Agreed,” Nestor nodded, “the matter of most concern is where you’ve been for the past several months. And…how you’ve come back with only a cut on your cheek.”

The pastel-pink dragoness put her hand to said cheek and grimaced. She didn’t know where to begin with everyone. There was finding out the truth about the Clockwork King, the time she spent getting to know Lindar, the kidnapping by the Sorceress, busting out of a dungeon-no, she had to focus. She had to find someone to help save Lindar from the Sorceress! She had no more time to waste standing around and mulling.

“I-I’ll explain that later! I just need to find some help,” Yukari huffed. “First off, it’s…it’s the Clockwork King.” 

There were gasps around, especially from Lucas. A few, like the gossiping fauns, looked at her like she was crazy. Yukari knew this and hastily explained, “H-He’s not a monster like everyone thinks he is! He’s so kind and loving and generous! He made the Clockwork King story up himself; he’s really just a dragon who needed a friend! I trust him enough to leave Muffin with him-“

“Stop with the nonsense,” Alvar cut in with a harrumph, “you’ve been in the woods far too long, seems like! You should be getting home and clearing your head!”

Some of the townsfolk agreed with the chef. Yukari soon felt that all-too-familiar frustration boiling over. She didn’t like being looked at as crazy, neither did she like them dismissing the truth about Lindar. With her voice raised, she shouted, “Just listen to me! If we don’t do something soon, the Sorceress is going to kill Lindar!”

A deafening silence hit the townsfolk. Soon, though, Gildas was the first to step forward. Then Gavin, then Cheyloe, then the rest of the former castle servants. Yukari and Lateef both wore shock at the dragons stepping forward. After the shock wore off, Gildas addressed, “S-So…you _were_ with Prince Lindar.”

Yukari nodded, feeling relieved at being believed. “Y-Yes. And the portrait you made of him as a baby is beautiful.”

The old painter felt tears brimming in his eyes, born of relief and regret. Relief that the prince he saw as a surrogate son was still alive. Regret that he ever left him alone after his parents died. The other former servants cast their heads down, feeling the same relief and regret as Gildas. They thought for a long time he would remain the spoiled and selfish dragon they left him as. For Yukari to remain with him for this long and say good things about him proved them wrong. He changed for the better. But they still wanted to see it for themselves.

Bianca got to her feet and felt a wave of dizziness hit her from the tremendous use of magic. Hunter caught her before she fell and helped her ride it out. She clarified to the townsfolk, “S-She’s telling the truth…the Sorceress is on her way right now. We…we have to stop her before she kills the prince…and kills Yukari next.”

Another deafening silence hit the gathered townsfolk. Gildas suddenly narrowed his eyes and stepped towards the town’s entrance. He turned to his fellow former servants and sternly declared, “Friends, I’d say it’s best we forgive what happened in the past and go save His Highness.”

Gavin was the first to step alongside him, a confident smile on his face. “He never stays out of trouble, but that’s what we’re here for.”

Cheyloe and Titan stepped up next, followed by Lucas and Anna. Oswin straightened his turban and followed suit, then Devlin. Alvar frowned, still bitter over the prince’s loose tongue, but quickly relented and joined the former servants. Spyro, Hunter, Elora, and Bianca joined up with them, ignoring the stern look on Nestor’s face. They were too far into this to be talked out of it.

“Do what you have to do; the town is my responsibility in case this sorceress attacks it,” Nestor spoke in veiled approval. “Just please look after the young ones.”

Gildas nodded, declaring, “We can take the shortcut and hopefully beat them there. We don’t have time to lose!”

The former servants spread their wings and took flight into the night sky towards the castle. Spyro rode on the currents made by their wings, leaving the other youths to be carried by the older dragons. The townsfolk, Yukari, and Lateef watched them go and hopefully save the prince. They just had to wait.

Yukari wasn’t about to sit by and wait.

Spreading her wings, she quickly took off after them. Lateef lifted off and flew in front of her, scolding, “Yukari, I’m not letting you get near that demon!”

The pastel-pink dragoness looked at her uncle and countered, “And I’m not going to let Lindar die. I have to go, Uncle Lateef. You can either stay here, or come with me.”

As much as Lateef feared losing his niece to the Sorceress, he couldn’t protect her forever. She was a grown dragoness, and he knew she wouldn’t let anyone else be taken from her. That didn’t mean he’d let her go alone. With a hesitant nod, Lateef let her fly ahead and followed behind. He never saw her wings beat so furiously, nor the look of determination on her face. She truly changed while residing with the prince.

He would have to thank him personally as soon as they defeated the Sorceress.


	17. Chapter 16: Storm the Castle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ultimate showdown begins at Lindar's castle. When the Sorceress and her army invade, the former servants return and fight to protect their former home and their prince. Meanwhile, Yukari and Lateef race to make it on time before the Sorceress can strike Lindar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now this chapter and the next chapter take place at the very same time. Well, to better explain it, the events of the next chapter will be going on while this chapter is running its course. Anyway, this chapter was inspired by the battle between the servants and the villagers in Beauty and the Beast (only, in a twist, some of the villagers are the ones defending the castle here). It gets a little silly in this chapter, but the dragons have to be a bit creative in defending the castle! Just be ready for the next chapter, where we finally get the awaited showdown! Stay tuned!

Chapter 16: Storm the Castle

Lindar couldn’t help but feel something was wrong.

He shouldn’t be worrying, he knew. He needed to have faith that Yukari was just fine. She would be in town taking care of Lateef, probably telling him of her time at the castle. She would have Muffin there, too, and they would be together again. That was what was important. Still…he already missed her terribly.

He even missed that troublesome little tapir. In spite of their misgivings, they learned to get a long and have an understanding of each other. There were a few occasions where he caught the tapir trying to climb into bed with him on cold nights. Either she wanted to give Yukari a break, or a certain dragoness directed her to him. Yukari always had a way of looking out for him. He wished he told her just how much he appreciated it.

There was a dull pain in his chest and the clock whirred softly. Lindar saw the clouds growing darker and thunder rumbling. With a sigh of resignation, he climbed into bed. He didn’t lay down for a nap, however. Instead, he hugged his knees to his chest and laid his head down. He truly prayed Lateef was all right…and he prayed he would see Yukari again one day. 

Why couldn’t he shake this terrible feeling coming upon him, though?

Through the crack in the door, Muffin watched him with a saddened expression. Despite their issues in the past, she hated seeing Lindar so down. She missed Yukari, too, but she knew she would return. He didn’t know that, however. For all he knew, Yukari was gone forever. As much as she wanted to appear as a way to say she would return, he needed to be alone right now. The tapir resigned to walking down the hall and going to wait by the front doors.

Her ears suddenly perked up when she heard a noise on the first floor.

* * *

“Move faster, you idiots!”

The Rhynocs carrying the sedan chair groaned and struggled to pick up the pace. Hauling the Sorceress around wasn’t the biggest problem; they had to navigate through the tangling trees. They would get an earful every time their queen bumped up against a tree branch or they stumbled over a rock. One muttered that she should just use her magic to make a clear path. Another quietly wondered if this prince was worth the travel.

The rumble of thunder above didn’t help matters. Some groaned internally when the dripping started and evolved into a steady rain. They didn’t have the fortune of being shielded in a sedan chair like the Sorceress, but any loud complaints would earn them a fireball or lightning bolt to the face. They kept on marching towards the prince’s castle, guided by the Sorceress’ direction. It would be worth it once they could get their hands on some riches.

One Rhynoc paused when he saw several shadows from above, but nothing was there when he looked up. He quickly went back to marching with his fellow soldiers and ignored the feeling in his gut.

More trudging through the trees, more stumbling upon stones, and more orders barked by the Sorceress followed. Then they found a stone path with grass growing through the cracks and a lack of trees. The Sorceress and her Rhynocs finally stumbled upon the prince’s castle. The Sorceress felt a sense of disdain at his castle having a greater presence compared to hers. As soon as she was done with the prince, she would burn the castle to the ground.

Hopping out of her sedan chair, the witch shoved the gate open and beckoned the Rhynocs to the front doors. A few readied themselves to break the doors down, but she waved her hand in a halting fashion. She sternly commanded, “Let’s take him by surprise.”

With a wave of her scepter, the doors quietly opened to the darkened foyer. Nothing seemed out of place and the prince wasn’t there. It didn’t matter where in the castle he was; the Sorceress would sniff him out. Getting him by surprise would be much more fun than loudly barging in.

Unbeknownst to them, a tapir had heard a noise and looked to find them entering the castle. Said tapir stood frozen at the intruders, but they weren’t the ones that made the noise. The noise sounded like it came from the doors leading to the courtyard. Nevertheless, she readied herself to go and warn the prince. She was about to find out that wasn’t needed when she felt a familiar presence.

As the Sorceress and her Rhynocs stepped further inside, the lights inside the foyer suddenly came to life. Standing before the invaders was a group of none-too-pleased-looking dragons. Not only them…there was a fledgling, a faun, a bow-wielding cheetah, and a familiar traitor. The Sorceress stood in shock and locked eyes with the unknown dragons. Her eyes soon went to the rabbit among them as a growl came out of her throat.

“How did you escape?” The Sorceress hissed at Bianca.

Gildas narrowed his eyes at the witch and her arming, asking, “Are you aware that this isn’t your castle?”

Before they could act, Gavin pointed at the intruders and shouted, “NOW!”

With a roar, the dragons and their young allies lunged. While the Rhynocs were numerous, they were blindsided by the faster, larger dragons. The ones on the frontlines were met with tails to the face, blasts of fire, magic bursts, and many bonks to the head and stomach. In the middle of the chaos, the Sorceress strategically kept herself out of it. She glared at her incompetent minions before turning her head to the staircase. If she wanted something done right, she’d have to do it herself.

The Sorceress quietly crept away, leaving the Rhynocs to take the brunt of the attack.

* * *

“Yukari! Yukari, slow down!”

Yukari paid no heed to her uncle’s words. They were far behind the other dragons flying to the castle, and Lateef still being weakened from the elements made them pause a few times. They had no idea where this shortcut was, either. The two dragons were forced to take the long way, Yukari in the lead and flying furiously.

The dragoness gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes. The rain pummeled her in the face and brought back memories of when this all started. Last time, it was running from the storm. This time, it was braving the storm and racing against time. Lindar didn’t know what was about to happen and she had to do what she could to save him. Even if it meant standing between him and the Sorceress herself.

Her curly hair flying wildly in the wind, Yukari flew over the glade and began to make out the top of the castle. Lateef finally caught up and both could make out the very top of the castle. They prayed they weren’t too late.

* * *

The sounds of shattering glass and screaming Rhynocs echoed in the castle foyer. The numerous soldiers ran around covered in scorch marks, paint, flour, whatever the dragons had on them. 

A large Rhynoc got several kicks to the shin from Elora. The heavyset monster growled and attempted to grab the smaller faun, but a voice from above called, “Up here, you scurvy scum!”

As soon as the Rhynoc turned around, Devlin poured a potful of molten sugar onto his head. The Rhynoc screamed and bolted for the outdoors as the sugar scalded his scalp. Elora looked up and gave the baker a thumb’s up before going for a Rhynoc her size. Towards the entrance to the fireplace room, Spyro and Titan cornered a group of smaller Rhynocs; ten of them lined up in an upside-down triangle. The formation was enough to give the purple fledgling an idea.

“Titan, throw me! Let me show you that trick I told you about!”

Titan immediately took hold of the young dragon and grimaced. “If you break a bone, Nestor’ll break my neck.”

Nevertheless, he threw him. Spyro blew out a large flame and hit the ground spinning like a wheel. The Rhynocs were slow to react when the flaming wheel of a fledgling struck them all down. Titan resisted the urge to yell ‘strike’, instead looking over the grinning youth. Obviously, no broken bones. In spite of what Nestor would think, the kid would make the cut as a guard.

A group of three Rhynocs made a break for the staircase to follow after their queen. A lilac-scaled figured dropped down in front of them and let out a wicked laugh. She unfolded her fan and pulled out a slender wand. Wearing a cunning grin, Anna purred, “Do hold still, little boys!”

A blast from her wand hit the three Rhynocs as they cowered. They expected to be vaporized or turned into mice. Instead, they opened their eyes and found themselves with a fate even worse. The three were decked in the gaudiest of dresses, makeup, and meter-high wigs. The trio screamed at their getup, silenced as another blast left them mummified in ribbons and thread, leaving them to tumble down the stairs. Oswin paused in delivering a few solid punches to another soldier to raise his eyebrow at the dragoness.

Anna blew the smoke off the tip of her wand and smirked, “I could’ve turned them into glass particles, but that was a lot more fun!”

Below the stair rail, Gavin was in a wrestling match with a Rhynoc to match his size. Gavin found himself locked in a chokehold by the burly creature and clawed at his arms. Neither of them saw Gildas appearing from one of the second-floor halls wielding a rapier and battle helmet. A smirk formed on the old painter’s muzzle. Bellowing out a hearty laugh, Gildas slid down the stair rail and jammed the tip of the rapier into the Rhynoc’s rear. A thumb’s up from Gavin, followed by the muscular dragon throwing his Rhynoc opponent. It was then that the two dragons were alerted to another struggle. 

Another large Rhynoc wore a face-full of soot and herbal powder as he had Cheyloe pinned. The dragoness kicked and clawed at the creature with everything she had. As she opened her mouth and the back of her throat glowed orange, a huge burst of flames hit the Rhynoc’s back and threw him upward. Gavin stood above her, hands on his hips and a smirk on his face. As he started to speak, the dragoness stared past him and threw a glass bottle into the face of a Rhynoc sneaking behind him. She wore her own smirk as the soldier ran away from a face full of acid.

“We’re even, honey,” Cheyloe cooed.

But Gavin didn’t mind. “I like even.”

Hunter, Bianca, and Lucas kept themselves busy with barring any Rhynocs from heading up the stairs. Hunter shot multiple arrows and Lucas shot blasts of frigid air. Bianca decided it was time to try a summoning spell. Some sort of creature that could do minimal property damage would be ideal! As she readied her wand, she didn’t see Hunter be knocked back by a soldier and crash into her. A stream of magic still exited her wand and went through the closed kitchen doors. Nothing happened.

“And here I was practicing that for months,” the rabbit sorceress groaned.

“You’ll get it next time, I’m sure,” Hunter encouraged while firing another arrow.

At the top of the stairs, Muffin stood by and watched the chaos unfold. Now she decided it was time to stop watching and do something. Cheeks puffed out and trunk trumpeting, the tapir bolted down and tackled a smaller Rhynoc to the floor. To add insult to injury, she yanked his helmet off and bolted for the kitchen. Said Rhynoc and a few others gave chase to the tapir with spears and daggers ready. Muffin crashed into the kitchen doors and was left stunned for a few seconds, but shook the stars out of her eyes and bolted in. She soon realized it was a dead end and found herself cornered by the sadistic soldiers.

She also realized Bianca’s spell didn’t fail at all.

Numerous sheep appeared wielding knives in their jaws. But what really frightened the Rhynocs was Alvar appearing in front of the oven as flames shot up around him and he cackled. The would-be attackers screamed in horror and fled. Alvar looked at his handiwork with satisfaction. The sheep did, too…until they saw the sour frown on the red dragon’s face.

“Out, you walking germ houses! OUT!” 

When the sheep fled and Muffin casually stepped out, Alvar stayed quiet for a moment before leaning himself over the kitchen counter. He sighed deeply, “I missed you so much…”

By this time, the whole Rhynoc arm cried defeat and flooded out the castle’s front doors. Some were reduced to crawling away in the rain. That left the dragons and their companions cheering in victory.

Then they noticed a Rhynoc they missed. The soldier nervously looked at the castle’s defenders and knew he had no chance, but he raised his fists anyway. However, the former servants watched the Rhynoc’s face contort in agony before he fell flat on the floor. Standing before the fallen soldier, with his fingers raised, was…

“Lateef!”

The group went up to the soaked dragon in question, Gavin and Titan working to throw the last Rhynoc out. Muffin chirped in excitement and ran up to the sagely blue dragon, nuzzling his shins. Gildas was the first to check on his friend and pull him out of the rain before the doors shut. A few of the dragons inspected the foyer and other first floor areas for damage. The others looked over each-other for any battle damage. 

It was then the old painter realized something was missing. “Where’s the Sorceress?”

Gavin noticed something else amiss. “And if Lateef’s here…where’s…”


	18. Chapter 17: Facing the Demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sorceress makes her way to Lindar and is determined to break him before destroying him. A revelation leaves Lindar to her mercy, leaving Yukari to face her fears and fight for his life. Both dragons struggle to end the Sorceress' reign of terror.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have just one more chapter after this followed by an epilogue (and I am working on doodles and such for the story, I've just had a small case of art block). Now this chapter, of course, is inspired by the battle between the Beast and Gaston in the animated Beauty and the Beast, with an additional player in the fight. And once again, there's a cliffhanger. Be prepared to get your tissues ready for the next chapter! Also be warned that this chapter contains quite a bit of violence and mentions of blood. Enjoy!

Chapter 17: Facing the Demon

The Sorceress huffed and puffed with each step up the stairs. The sound of the battle between her soldiers and the dragons left her range of hearing after she reached the second floor. Seeing the stairs leading to the third floor made her resent the castle even more. She could have wasted time opening each door in this forsaken castle, but she had just what she needed to find the prince’s exact location.

She pulled the stolen pocket watch out again and huffed, “Show…show me…the way…to the prince.”

The moving image that appeared in the watch’s mirror made her look towards the western set of stairs. In spite of her breathlessness, the Sorceress grinned and made her way up the stairs. The troublesome trek would be worth it once she took care of the miserable prince. Then she would deal with that traitor and get back to getting that pure heart.

* * *

Lindar wondered just what was happening on the first floor.

He long forgot about the eavesdropping pipes he installed until now. The last time they had any significance to him was the evening Yukari first came to the castle. The faint noises he heard failed to penetrate his lingering thoughts concerning the dragoness until now. Did he leave the doors open and let some wild animals in? He hesitated in getting off the bed and checking for any animals. Or an intruder. A part of him told him his mind played tricks on him. There was another hoping that Yukari returned.

The light blue dragon got up and went to go to the first floor. He froze when he saw the double doors cracking open. A small smile formed on his muzzle when he began, “Yukari-“

Lindar’s face dropped the moment he saw her. It was a nightmare come true as soon as they locked eyes. After over three years, he never thought he’d see the Sorceress again. Now here she was, in his own home. Lindar felt like a scared child discovering the bogeyman was real all along. The way she grinned at him made him back up towards the balcony doors.

“Hello, dear prince. My, don’t you look _terrible_?”

“W-What are you doing here?” Lindar asked, his voice shaking.

The Sorceress looked towards the table and saw the familiar clock. If she wanted to, she could send a fireball to burn his heart to ashes. Again, that would be too easy…it would prove more entertaining to break him first. 

She glanced up at the portrait facing the bed and sneered, but shook it off and wore her cunning smirk. “My, my…it’s been three years, and you still haven’t regained your heart. Could it be that she never really loved you?”

Lindar’s eyes widened. “How you do you know about Yukari?”

Rather than answer the prince’s question, the Sorceress crept closer with one hand behind her back. “I’ll be honest, prince, I never cared if you broke the curse or not. But as soon as I saw that dragoness through my viewing orb, you genuinely surprised me. And for one with a pure heart to show up, on top of that…you honestly had me thinking you’d break the curse. I have to thank you for saving me the trouble of finding such a heart myself.”

Lindar felt a weight in his stomach when the Sorceress revealed she’d been watching them. He didn’t know what had her so interested in pure hearts for herself. Just the sound of her voice let him know she had ill intentions towards the dragoness over a pure heart. The very thought of the witch wanting to do Yukari harm made him clench his fangs. He wasn’t going to let that happen, nor would he let her know where she was.

“…If you’ve come here to harm her, you’re too late. She’s not here,” Lindar growled lowly, baring his clawing and fangs. In spite of his lingering weakness, he wouldn’t hesitate to fight the overweight witch. “And I’m not going to let you take her away when you’ve taken enough from me. Now do yourself a favor and get out of my castle!”

He hoped the Sorceress would get the message and leave. Instead, the crocodilian woman chuckled lowly. That was when he noticed her pulling her arm from behind her back. Something lay wrapped in her hand…what was it?

The Sorceress grinned, taunting, “Bold words from such a weak-willed prince. Unfortunately for you, I’m afraid it’s all for nothing.” She stared at her hand with a fake pout and cooed, “Poor thing…she begged me not to hurt you in such a soft little voice…”

She opened her hand and allowed the pocket watch to fall to the floor. Lindar’s resolve evaporated the moment he saw it, his eyes following it to the floor. His face fell and tears pooled in his eyes when he saw _blood_ smeared on the shell of the watch. Lindar was too horrified to notice the pain coursing through is chest and the cracks beginning to form on the clock. It didn’t matter now; if that witch had the pocket watch, that meant Yukari was…

“N-No,” Lindar mumbled. “Y-Yukari, no…”

The Sorceress drank his despair in and seized the moment. She crept closer to the prince as the jewel in her scepter glowed blood-red. She grinned and stated, “She said your name as she took her last breath. I still can’t believe you were able to love without a heart in your chest. But I’ll be generous tonight. I’ll make sure you join her!”

Lindar did nothing to defend himself when the Sorceress raised her scepter. A fiery blast launched from the tip and forced him through the balcony doors in an explosion of wood and glass. The impact also knocked the table over and threw the heart-shaped clock to the floor. The clock bounced off the floor and landed on the balcony, while Lindar toppled over the balcony wall and onto a platform below. He came to rest in a heap, and the source of his fears jumping down to him. He still did nothing when the Sorceress’ foot made contact with his ribs.

“Where’s that bravado you had three years ago? Still think I’m an ugly, overweight harpy?” The Sorceress jeered, madness in her eyes and voice. “Come on now, where are your snarky comments!? Where’s that bravery you had just a few minutes ago!? Or did love make you this weak!?”

As the Sorceress kept kicking his chest, she didn’t see who appeared in front of the castle. Lateef had already gone ahead to lend aid to the town’s dragons, leaving Yukari to search for Lindar. As she flew towards the courtyard and looked up, she saw the Sorceress hitting something-or someone. The dragoness backed away from the sight of the witch who destroyed her innocence. A part of her wanted to hide as she did in her childhood. Her survival instinct screamed for her to cower and wait until she went away.

But as she heard Lindar’s cry of agony, that part withered away. Yukari narrowed her eyes and gritted her fangs as her wings flared out and lifted her higher. Adrenaline flowed through her veins and she saw red as Lindar’s pained cries grew louder. For the first time in her life, Yukari felt true fury. It was time to end this monster’s terror once and for all!

The Sorceress glowered at the prince, who curled himself into a ball. With her scepter raised-ready to crush his skull-she growled, “Goodnight, sweet prince.”

Just before the Sorceress could make her move, a furious growl reached her ears. Next thing she knew, a flash of pink came upward and grabbed the scepter. The Sorceress yelped and saw none-other than the pure-hearted dragoness trying to wrench the scepter out of her grasp. 

Lindar opened his eyes and saw Yukari. Her hair down, soaked from the rain, a look of fury on her face as she wrestled with the Sorceress. She freed one of her hands to scratch the witch’s face before spewing fire in her face. All he could process at the moment was that the Sorceress lied and Yukari was alive. His shock wore off when he saw the Sorceress throw Yukari to the platform with a screech.

At the same time, the Sorceress glanced down and saw her soldiers fleeing the castle, some on their hands and knees. There was another failure in what was meant to be the perfect plan. The more she saw her grandiose scheme unraveling, the more her mind spiraled downward into desperation. All because of this prince and dragoness! The Sorceress, rage in her face, pointed her scepter at the dragoness. “I don’t know how you escaped, but I won’t let you or anyone else put a stop to my plans!”

Yukari got on all fours and narrowed her eyes, hissing, “You already took my parents from me. I’m not going to let you take Lindar, too!”

The witch laughed, “Well, aren’t you suddenly brave? I’ll just cut that heart out here and now! Now HOLD STILL!!”

As soon as he saw the scepter raised, Lindar snapped.

The Sorceress felt her scepter grabbed once again, this time with her being forcefully turned around and facing a snarling Lindar. She gasped at his sudden burst of strength and felt herself thrown back against the stone wall. Lindar sucked in a large breath before spewing hot flames out of his mouth, and the Sorceress barely dodged it by hastily hopping towards the roof. She momentarily forgot that the prince had an advantage: wings. She struggled to climb to a walkway under the rooftops with Lindar in hot pursuit. A few blasts of lightning shot from her scepter, missing the faster dragon.

Lindar winced at the sudden pain in his chest. His anger proved too strong and put stress on his fragile clock-heart. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath; he couldn’t let his pain rule him anymore. With a roar, he pushed his pain behind him and kept his pursuit of the Sorceress.

He rammed into her and knocked her onto a platform lined with stone sculptures. He used the opportunity to hide among the sculptures and play his own game with the Sorceress. As he hid, he watched the unravelling reptile stalk the sculptures and blast one with her scepter. Something approaching nearby caught his attention, prompting him to keep the Sorceress distracted.

“Come out, little prince,” the Sorceress called. “Let me end your misery already!”

Lindar stayed in the shadows, but goaded, “Am I that much of a threat to you? I must have you pretty scared to get you this desperate!”

The crocodilian witch angrily sneered, “And you’re deluding yourself, you worthless dragon! Did you think you were in love with her? You can’t love without a heart!”

However, Lindar wasn’t deterred. Smirking from the shadows, the prince countered, “Heart or no heart…at least I know what love is!”

The Sorceress roared and blasted another sculpture to rubble. Lindar seized the opportunity to fly out and clamp his teeth over her arm. The Sorceress screamed and reflexively threw her free arm up, causing her scepter to fly out of her grasp and land on the roofing. She shook the prince off and desperately started climbing after her scepter. Just as she was about to reach it, a flash of pink swooped in and grabbed it.

“Lindar!”

The light-blue dragon turned to the scepter-wielding Yukari. It was tempting to use it to blast that witch to smithereens, but there was a better idea. No one else needed to use this accursed scepter to do harm. The pastel-pink dragoness threw the scepter down to him and he caught it. The Sorceress scrambled after him with a shout, but it was too late. Lindar roared and slammed the scepter’s head into the castle wall, shattering the egg-shaped jewel and sending a shockwave between himself and the Sorceress.

The Sorceress was knocked to the platform below Lindar’s balcony. Lindar’s hands trembled from the shockwave and he threw what was left of the scepter beside her. It was over; it was _finally_ over. Now there was another matter to resolve. He looked to the sky and saw the pastel-pink dragoness hovering over his balcony.

“Yukari…”

The two dragons locked eyes before they flew to each-other into a tight embrace. Lindar pressed Yukari to his chest and rested his head atop hers. Yukari in-turn rested her head on his shoulder, her snout nuzzled into the crook of his neck. They pulled away just enough for the prince to cup the dragoness’ cheek and smile in solace.

“Yukari…you’re all right,” Lindar breathed. “You came back!”

Yukari placed her hand over his and smiled as well, whispering, “I never break my promises.”

While the two were distracted, the Sorceress shook the dizziness out of her head and saw them embracing. She took hold of the metal rod of her scepter and wanted to skewer it through the both of them. Something else came to mind, and she quietly climbed up to the balcony…

Lindar and Yukari kept hold of each-other and refused to let go. They quietly looked into each-other’s eyes before deciding now was the time to say what they wanted for a long time. Perhaps it was better for them to show it rather than speak. The two dragons began to close their eyes and draw closer-

_SMASH_

Yukari saw Lindar freeze in place. He stared off into space, wide-eyed, his body slowly trembling. What shocked her most was the sight of blood slowly oozing from his mouth. She immediately turned and saw the Sorceress chuckling lowly. The metal rod that was her scepter impaled the heart-shaped clock. In a swift motion, the crocodilian witch yanked the rod out of the clock, causing Lindar to stumble in pain. She soon had the splintered end of the rod pointed at Yukari.

The Sorceress cackled and pushed Lindar out of the way. She attempted to jam the rod right into Yukari’s chest, but the dragoness fought back and pushed her towards the front edge of the balcony. The Sorceress felt the rod slip from her hand as she lost her balance. The combination of her heavyset body and the push resulted in the witch falling backwards with a scream. The soft grass of the courtyard wouldn’t be too bad; even the stone would only leave a few broken bones. However, the scepter rod landed with the splintered edge pointing up. As if by divine retribution, the Sorceress was in its trajectory.

It was ironic that the scepter ended up impaling her through the heart. The Sorceress’ screaming ceased and her body went limp. The creature who ruined so many lives finally received justice, never to hurt anyone again.

But Lindar…


	19. Chapter 18: The Power of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gildas, Gavin, and Cheyloe arrive too late to help their prince. Bianca also arrives to witness the aftermath of the battle with the Sorceress. Lindar feels peace he hadn't felt in a long time, but Yukari isn't ready to let him perish. It may take three simple words to give the two dragons their happy ending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is: the grand chapter of the story! Now, there will be an epilogue following this, and we'll get to see where everyone ends up! If I hadn't mentioned it before, there will be a few sequels to this story (and perhaps a prequel). The first sequel we'll be getting will center around Tomas and Cadenza, who are going through their own curse. Be sure to get your tissues ready (and think of a certain piece of instrumental music from Beauty and the Beast)!

Chapter 18: The Power of Love

Gildas, Gavin, and Cheyloe struggled not to topple over each-other. They were in a hurry running and flying to Lindar’s room, hoping to find him in one piece. If possible, they hoped to find Yukari unharmed, too. The three dragons cursed themselves for not stopping that sorceress from slinking off. They would save their apologies and catching up until after they found the prince.

They had no idea that Bianca tailed after them until they reached Lindar’s bedroom doors. They knew the young rabbit had a personal connection with that sorceress, though there was no time to go into all the details. If she followed, they wouldn’t turn her away. They instead focused on throwing both doors open. The broken balcony doors and fallen table told them they were too late to halt the Sorceress. Where was she now? Where were Lindar and Yukari? The four went inside and looked to the rainy balcony and had their second question answered.

They realized they came too late.

Yukari knelt to the ground and cradled Lindar’s upper body in her arms. The light-blue dragon struggled to breathe and hold his eyes open. A stream of fresh blood oozed from the corner of his mouth. Yukari did everything she could to help him stay awake. The three dragons didn’t know what kind of damage the witch did to him. Bianca figured it out right away when she saw the clock in front of Gildas’ feet. Something was stabbed deep into it, shattering the glass and splintering the wood. The clock hands twitched, barely ticking, and the red jewel’s glow began to dull. 

Gavin was the one to shake his wife’s shoulder, sputtering, “C-Cheyloe…C-Cheyloe, you have to help him-“

“There’s nothing you can do,” Bianca interrupted sadly.

The three dragons looked at the young sorceress before noticing the clock. They didn’t know the significance of it, instead being interrupted by the sound of Yukari’s voice.

“L-Lindar…Lindar, I’m so sorry,” the pastel-pink dragoness murmured. “I-I should’ve never left…”

Other dragons would have already succumbed to such an injury. Lindar, however, did what he could to fight and look at her. Even as his vision began to blur, he could see her face clear as day. It hurt to breathe, but he brought himself to smile. He assured her, “D-Don’t…don’t say that, Yukari. I’m just…glad to…see you again…”

Yukari plastered on a false smile, locking eyes with Lindar as she replied, “E-Everything will be all right, Lindar. C-Cheyloe…she’ll fix you up…s-she’ll fix you up and you’ll be okay.”

However, Lindar had to disagree. “N-No…it’s…i-it’s too late, Yukari…”

Her smile fell and she desperately took his hand. Tears welled up in her eyes and began to fall on Lindar’s snout. She quietly begged, “L-Lindar, I-I can’t lose you, too!”

Lindar didn’t continue the argument. He reached his free hand up and cupped Yukari’s cheek, giving her one more smile; a peaceful smile. He could hear the clock’s ticking grow fainter, but he wasn’t afraid. If this was the way he had to go, he was at peace knowing that he wasn’t alone.

“Y-Yukari…I’m just glad…I-I got to see you…one more time,” Lindar murmured, his breathing growing labored. “T-Thank you…f-for all you did. I-I’m so…glad I met you…”

Yukari didn’t know how to respond, but finally managed with, “L-Lindar…I-I’m glad I met you, too. A-And…t-thank you for how you’ve helped me…”

There was something else Lindar wanted to tell her. However, that wouldn’t come to pass. Lindar’s hand slid from Yukari’s cheek and collapsed onto the rain-soaked balcony. Yukari watched in horror as Lindar’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and his head lolled back. His body went limp in her arms and his eyes closed one last time. The final breath quietly escaped his lungs and his chest ceased moving.

Lindar was gone.

Yukari furiously shook her head as tears cascaded from her crystal-blue eyes. She shook Lindar’s upper body and tried to awaken him, yet his body remained limp. Losing her parents was hard enough, but losing him broke everything within her. This couldn’t be happening! Why did she have to lose Lindar, too? 

“N-No…NO! L-Lindar, Lindar, p-please don’t leave me! D-Don’t leave me!”

The pastel-pink dragoness closed her eyes and rested her head on Lindar’s, her hair falling into her face. As she quietly sobbed over him, she whispered, “I-I…I never got to tell you…”

After a pause, she finished, “…I-I love you.”

It was only seconds after those three words that the clock ceased ticking. The three dragons watching finally put two-and-two together and realized the prince was dead. Gildas closed his eyes and bowed his head as tears seeped out. Cheyloe broke down into sobs and cried into Gavin’s chest. Gavin stared at his fallen friend in shock, feeling himself go numb. They should have never left him. If they had just stayed, this wouldn’t have happened. Lindar could be insensitive; a jerk, even. But they never wanted him to die like this.

Bianca held herself and had her own tears, her lips quivering violently. It never should have come to this. If she hadn’t let her guard down, the Sorceress wouldn’t have mounted an attack. And now…

Yukari sat in the rain and continued to weep over the dragon she loved. She started to process that he was truly gone. It was while it started to hit her that she noted an odd, red glow. She still cried, yet opened her eyes and saw something. The red glow came from…Lindar’s chest? She pulled part of Lindar’s shirt collar down and saw a glowing, heart-shaped hole in his chest.

There was another red glow to match it nearby. Yukari looked over and saw it emanating from the heart-shaped clock, albeit weak. A voice inside told her to go to it. She gently laid Lindar down and went to the broken clock. The other dragons and Bianca stepped back and gave her room to do whatever she had to do. It wasn’t until the dragoness drew closer did the clock crumble, leaving the red jewel left in the debris.

Only it wasn’t a jewel. It was an orb of light faintly glowing red, sitting still in the clock remains. Yukari carefully scooped it into her hands and it felt cold to the touch. As she held it, something unexpected happened: the weak light pulsated once. It did it again…and again…and again until it slowly grew steady. Just like a beating heart. The red glow also began to fade, overtaken by a bluish-white light that nearly blinded Yukari. Images began filling her head of Lindar and the Sorceress…and she knew there was one thing she could do.

This was his heart…and he needed it back.

The dragoness knelt over Lindar’s body, new tears streaming down her cheeks. Some of her tears dripped onto the warm orb of light as she slowly lowered it into the hole in his chest. The dull, red light washed away in the presence of orb’s light, the pulsing growing stronger and staying steady. Soon, the bluish-white light resonated throughout Lindar’s body, and a sudden flash of the light made it jerk. What happened next had Yukari hold her hands over her mouth and the four observers stare in awe.

As Lindar’s body literally glowed, his features swiftly began to change. His bony hands and cheeks began to noticeably fill out, and the rest of his body followed. He still presented bags under his eyes, but they no longer looked sunken-in. His scales went from ashen to sporting a brighter light-blue hue. Finally, to everyone’s amazement, the hole in his chest began to close over the light. A fresh, fully-healed patch of underbelly replaced the hole, showing no traces of it ever existing. The glow soon faded and left Lindar laying in the rain. Yukari cautiously reached her hand out to him when she heard the sound.

Lindar _groaned_.

The pastel-pink dragoness jumped back and watched the revived Lindar get to his knees. Lindar paid no heed to anyone around him and instead focused on getting his head to stop spinning. He got to his feet and opened his eyes with a shiver. One minute, he was literally dying in Yukari’s arms, feeling himself going into the light, and the next minute he’s on his feet. He could get himself focused if his heart wasn’t pounding in his chest.

Wait, his heart…pounding _in his chest_?

The prince immediately patted his chest and found no hole. He closed his eyes and tuned everything else out as he literally felt his heart beating in his chest. He couldn’t believe it; he had his heart back! But if his heart was back in his chest, that meant Yukari said…

Lindar’s shoulders trembled before he turned to face Yukari. Tears cascaded down his cheeks as he looked to the dragoness who saved his life. As the rain began settling down, a jubilant smile found itself on Lindar’s face. He chuckled softly and spoke in a trembling voice, “Yukari…t-thank you. You…you made me whole again!”

A tearful smile graced Yukari’s face. It didn’t take long for her to get to her feet and exclaim, “L-Lindar!”

The two dragons crashed into each-other in a tight embrace and refused to part. The four observers watched with tears of celebration, remaining silent for the embracing dragons. The curse over Lindar was broken. The Sorceress was gone forever. No one would have to worry about having their heart taken from them. Now they could focus on a new beginning. 

Lindar took hold of Yukari’s chin with his claw, similar to the night they first met. There was no dark deal to be made this time, only the prince saying what he wanted to for a long time. “Now that we don’t have any interruptions,” he leaned closer and looked her in the eyes, finishing, “I love you.”

That prompted them to show this new beginning. Lindar and Yukari slowly leaned forward and kissed in the misty rain. 

They became so lost in it that they failed to notice the rain stopping. The four observers allowed them the moment, then Gildas was the one to loudly clear his throat. The two dragons broke away abruptly and turned to the balcony doors. Yukari blushed and averted her eyes away from her fellow townsfolk. Lindar narrowed his eyes and puffed his cheeks out.

“Would you please give us a minute, Gildas?” Only when Lindar said the elder dragon’s name did his eyes widen and go back to the three dragons. “Gildas!? Gavin!? Cheyloe!?”

Yukari instinctively stepped back while Lindar’s smile widened. The pastel-pink dragoness took her last step back right as the three former servants tackled Lindar in a hug. Gavin’s large arms nearly squeezed all of them to death, but they didn’t care. Cheyloe couldn’t help but start sobbing as she held her old friend. Gildas was too afraid of letting go of the prince, fearing losing him any second. The only one left to observe everything was Bianca, who smiled warmly. Everything would be all right now.

Lindar soon noticed her presence as he got up. He asked, “And who are you?”

The young rabbit jumped and twiddled her thumbs. “O-Oh, I’m Bianca. I-It’s nice to meet you face-to-face, Prince Lindar.”

Lindar wanted to inquire further on her role in this when shouts came from below. Gildas, Gavin, and Cheyloe flew down first, leaving the other two dragons and Bianca. Yukari lifted Bianca onto her back before she took Lindar’s hand and flew down as well. Sure enough, the voices below belonged to the former servants and the village youths. To Lindar’s surprise, there stood Lateef among them. The minute the prince’s feet touched the ground, Muffin came trotting up and raring up on his knees. 

Lindar and Yukari greeted in-unison, “Muffin!”

Bianca rejoined the other youths in the meantime. Spyro was the first to approach the light-blue dragon and smirked, addressing, “Wow, you look a lot better without a cloak and cane.”

“Nice to meet you, too, kid,” Lindar replied with his own smirk.

Elora lightly nudged the purple fledgling with her foot. “Don’t mind him…Your Highness, right?”

“Wow, never thought of you as the formal type, Elora,” Hunter teased.

Lindar suddenly found his shoulder seized by Lateef. The sagely blue dragon gave him an assuring smile before pulling him into a hug. He opened his mouth to say something when Lateef quietly spoke, “…Thank you for upholding your promise to keep her safe.”

The former servants began gathering around their prince. Lindar braced himself for whatever needed to be said. He full-on expected a few tongue-lashings for how he treated them; any would be well-deserved. If they wanted to stay away after this, he understood. It would sadden him, but at least they were happy living in town. That didn’t mean he couldn’t say what he needed to over three years ago.

“…I’m so sorry for how I treated all of you,” Lindar softly apologized. “I was nothing but a fool back then. Thank you for defending the castle. And…I just ask you forgive me for wagging my tongue too much.”

The light-blue dragon winced and awaited one of two responses: forgiving and forgetting, or a verbal beatdown. His answer came when Alvar of all dragons was the first to speak up. The fiery-red chef harrumphed, “You certainly never stay out of trouble! But it looks like you finally grew up after three years.”

Lindar wore a look of surprise, more so when Devlin added, “I suppose that’s our hotheaded chef’s way of saying he forgives you…as do I.”

“We’re honestly just happy to know you’re alive, my dear princie,” Anna cooed, tapping Lindar on the snout with her folded fan.

“Don’t forget the fact that you took care of Yukari,” Lucas sighed.

Oswin gave a sheepish smile and concluded, “And, well, a few of us really missed being here, Your Highness.”

Titan was the one to clear his throat and give a bow, proclaiming, “And some of us are willing to come back.”

One by one, the former servants gave bows and curtsies in respect towards Lindar. The town youths and Bianca followed their example, and finally Lateef and Yukari. Lindar had trouble processing that the former servants not only forgave him, but some wanted to come back. The prince once again allowed tears to fall from his eyes as joy swelled within him. However, he couldn’t take all the attention. He wiped his eyes and gently nudged Yukari forward to face the servants.

“If you’re going to give me that kind of attention, then you should also give it to Yukari,” Lindar stated proudly. “If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be here to ask for your forgiveness.”

Yukari furiously blushed and looked to Lindar. “O-Oh, Lindar, they don’t have to do that…”

“Oh, yes, they do.”

The dragoness opened her mouth to protest further when Lindar hoisted her up into his arms, holding her under her waistline. In spite of everyone watching, Yukari let herself relax and rested her head on top of Lindar’s. The townsfolk and youths watched in amusement as Yukari and Lindar laughed like kids in love and quickly kissed. The two dragons in question thought back on everything they went through in just a few seconds. They never thought they would start off as strangers that barely tolerated each-other. Lindar, once the cold, embittered, and lonely prince, now made whole, humble, and feeling joy he never felt. Yukari, once the quiet, lonely, and timid pushover, now blossomed and felt her own sense of joy. They couldn’t fathom life without each-other now.

That must have been the power of the heart. No…the true power of love.


	20. Epilogue: A New Step Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Days after the Sorceress' curse is broken, Lindar is adjusting to new changes in his life. Yukari is also taking in the biggest leap she's made so far. Both of them, nevertheless, are ready to face these changes-and a new future-together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally at the epilogue of The Clockwork King! I'd like to thank all of you for the kudos and comments on this story, and I also thank my friend Rogersgirlrabbit on dA for the fanart she's done for the story! Now it's not the end for Lindar and Yukari, by any means! I've got a few sequels in the works! As I've mentioned before, the first one is set in the Clockwork King universe and revolves around Tomas and Cadenza. Then we'll have the story of Lindar and Yukari's wedding and a surprise sequel after that! Be sure to look forward to the up-and-coming stories, The Fox and the Nightingale and The Clockwork Bride!
> 
> And just because this story's over doesn't mean I won't have a few doodles of it, along with the others! Look forward to those, too!

Epilogue: A New Step Forward

For once in a long time, he made sure to get plenty of sleep the night before.

Lindar stood in front of a full-length mirror and scanned his appearance. With a keen eye, he spotted his collar popped up and quickly corrected it. He had to be sure everything was just right today. There couldn’t be a single hair out of place. No buttons unbuttoned on his shirt or coat. No smell of cog oil or must. For today, he sported the same blue tailcoat, dress shirt and pants, and neckerchief he donned on the night of that fateful dance. Now, with his heart returned, it no longer looked too big on him; it all fit perfectly. Still, he couldn’t help but be fussy over his appearance.

Today was very important. Everything had to be just right for-

A knock on the door nearly made the prince jump out of his scales. He quickly calmed himself down and went to open the double-doors for his visitor. His sky-blue eyes met aged cerulean eyes as a bright smile formed on his lips.

“Well, Your Highness, I must say you’re looking very sharp today!”

Gildas’ compliment made Lindar grin. If he wasn’t mistaken, his tone was much more jovial compared to years ago. The older dragon had a sharp look to him as well. No longer sporting paint-spattered clothes or a painter’s apron, Gildas sported his own tailcoat, which hid a pair of suspenders fastened to his dress pants. Even his glasses looked polished to a tee. Lindar may or may not have had a hand in that. 

“If I recall, my trusted advisor told me I needed to look my best today,” Lindar wittily replied.

Gildas stroked his orange beard with pride and hummed, “I’ve kept my eye on you since you were a fledgling. Old age isn’t going to stop me from that commitment. After all, you can’t shoulder everything yourself.”

He suddenly cast his eyes down and his smile faded. He said that now, but he didn’t fulfill that commitment for over three years. When he and the others left the prince alone, he thought he was teaching him a lesson in appreciation. The night he bumped into him told him their absence did more harm than good. Nothing prepared him for how bad things got until Yukari came begging for their help to save Lindar. What really hit home for him was seeing the prince die in the dragoness’ arms. Had it not been for her, there wouldn’t have been a chance to truly make amends.

“Lindar, I ask you forgive me for leaving you alone,” Gildas quietly apologized. “I should’ve just brushed off your words and stayed. You need all of us when your parents died…and we abandoned you. Maybe you wouldn’t have sought out that sorceress had I or the others stayed.”

Lindar, however, had to disagree. “No, Gildas…if you stayed, she would’ve cursed you, too. For all we know, she would’ve turned you into clocks or candelabras or teapots. It was better that I endure it alone than cause you all to suffer.”

The prince sighed, yet he found himself smiling at the older dragon, assuring him, “And I’m glad all of you could live peacefully in town. No wonder some of you chose to stay there.”

If it wasn’t for Lindar’s required position, he would settle down in town himself. Devlin decided to stay and keep his successful bakery running. Anna wanted to stay in town with her husband, but assured she would ‘keep an eye on his fashion sense’. Lucas grew to love mapmaking and travelling; thus, he couldn’t come back. However, there were plenty to fill in the empty spots, plus more. Hunter insisted on training to become a castle guard. His first assignment with Titan was to burn the Sorceress’ remains. Bianca made the decision to train to become a lady-in-waiting…and continue her magic studies. Young Spyro, to Nestor’s chagrin, insisted on hanging around and finding a purpose. Lateef decided to act as a sort of go-between with the castle and the surrounding towns.

Then there was the most welcome addition: Yukari.

Lindar came out of his deep thoughts when Gildas reached over and straightened his collar and neckerchief. Lindar couldn’t help but playfully roll his eyes, stating, “I thought nobody would notice.”

Gildas grinned and replied, “Well, a painter has an eye for even the smallest differences in detail.”

The prince pulled his pocket watch out and checked the time. Gildas took notice of this new watch and found a very ironic feature: it was heart-shaped. After all he went through, he made it heart-shaped. That prompted him to ask, “Are you sure you’re okay with folks still calling you the Clockwork King?”

Lindar grinned once again and put away his pocket watch, explaining, “It’s a benevolent title now. I’m the best clock maker around, and I’m becoming a king. I don’t have any complaints.”

The doors opened once again, this time to reveal Gavin. He traded his café attire for a dressy shirt and vest and matching pants. It surprised Lindar that Gavin chose to return as his maître-d’ instead of keeping his café. The muscular dragon assured him that it was in good hands under Useni. He would make trips to create his special brew, however. No matter his decision, it was good to know they were back on good terms.

Smirking, Gavin bowed and greeted, “I do believe everyone’s waiting for you, Your Highness.”

Lindar and Gildas wasted no time in following Gavin down the hall. It was when they reached the stairs that they encountered none-other than Lateef. The sagely blue dragon sported formal robes from his homeland and his tasseled gold necklace. For the short time they knew each-other, Lateef already treated the prince as though he was his flesh and blood. Lindar couldn’t believe how he readily accepted moving into the castle. Lateef proved to be a welcome presence, and Lindar believed Lateef started fretting over him as much as Gildas.

“I figured you’d be tending to Yukari,” Lindar stated.

Lateef smiled and shook his head. “She’s in good hands right now. You, on the other hand, might be a bit nervous today. The transition from prince to king can be quite nerve-wracking.”

“I admit being a little jittery…but if I can handle being cursed, I can handle a coronation,” the prince assured.

Wit a pat on Lindar’s shoulder, Lateef decided he would still help him calm his nerves. “Nevertheless, don’t let any pressure wear you down. I’ve already grown to like you as my future nephew-in-law.”

Lindar blinked at Lateef, but shook it off and made his way to the ballroom. True, he felt his heart pounding in his chest over today. Part of him even wondered if this was all a dream. He felt confident he would get through it, and he took assurance in having his loved ones by his side. And nephew-in-law to Lateef was an idea he had in his head for quite a while…

* * *

“Ouch!”

“Apologies, sweetie! I’m just trying to work with your curls!”

Yukari conceded and allowed Anna to keep working with her tender scalp. As the lilac dragoness finished her hair, Cheyloe finished her makeup and jewelry. There was talk of trying on new clothes, but Yukari decided on the dress she wore the night of her first dance with Lindar. However, Anna made a few adjustments to the teal-and-gold dress to make her truly look like royalty. The choker necklace and celestial earrings made her stand out even more. Her hair, however, was different. Instead of it all being in a bun, a few locks of hair were put in a small bun, leaving the rest to cascade down her back.

Yukari looked nearly unrecognizable. She now looked like the picture of a true princess. Of course, Anna insisted she would make her look more like a queen.

“Yukari, you look beautiful,” Cheyloe marveled, herself dressed in a dark-green long coat and skirt to match. “I’d say you’re ready to make your appearance!”

“Now, now, Yukari’s staying put until I put on the finishing details,” Anna retorted. She sported a gray-and-white silk dress and gray opened-fingered long gloves for the occasion. 

The finishing touches were a silk tie for her hair and a gold circlet. With swelling pride, Anna declared, “ _Now_ you’re ready to make your appearance!”

Yukari took a moment to examine her new look and admire the hard work her friends put in. Already in the days since the Sorceress’ defeat and Lindar being restored, she already felt like a different dragon compared to months ago. Now she barely recognized herself. If anyone told her long ago that she would fall in love with a prince and live in a castle, she wouldn’t believe it. Yet here she was, living in a castle with Lindar; the love of her life. Now said prince was about to become a king…

“Thank you, both of you,” Yukari replied, smiling brightly as she got up. She suddenly twiddled her thumbs and confessed, “I-I’m a little bit nervous…I mean, not as much for myself as for Lindar.”

Cheyloe was the one to take one of her hands and calm her down, explaining, “I think it’s the big leap you made. It’s not everyday a small-town dragoness faces a sorceress and gets engaged to a prince.”

“Indeed,” Anna chirped. “I’d say you’re the envy of all the ladies back in town.”

Speaking of town, Yukari turned to the light-red dragoness in concern, asking, “Are you okay leaving your clinic and coming back?”

Cheyloe didn’t look too upset about the matter. Even Lindar was taken aback that she eagerly returned to being the castle apothecary. “Elora’s been apprenticing under me for a while. I’ll stick around until she’s confident enough to go it herself. But I’ll still drop by to give a second opinion.” She soon pursed her lips and looked to Anna, asking, “Are you sure you’re not returning, too, Anna?”

The lilac dragoness sighed and confessed, “I do miss this castle, but I’ve grown to love town life with Magnus.” She soon raised a clawed finger and assured, “But I shall drop by every now and then to ensure Lindar dresses _correctly_.”

Yukari and Cheyloe laughed at Anna’s dedication. The laughing ceased when a knock resounded on the doors. They opened and revealed Bianca stepping in nervously, decked out in an orange dress and purple shawl. It surprised many that Yukari was so forgiving towards the rabbit, considering what her former mistress did. Yukari made it clear Bianca was not the Sorceress and, with Lindar’s blessing, was welcome to stay and start anew. Now here she was looking the part of a lady-in-waiting.

Trailing behind Bianca was Muffin. Now the ‘royal pet’, she donned a sky-blue vest and fancy leather collar with her name. The telling piece on the collar was the watch resting in the middle. The tapir gave Bianca a nudge, prompting the rabbit to clear her throat and speak, “It’s about to start. Are you ready, Yukari? I mean, Lady Yukari?”

The slip-up didn’t bother Yukari; she welcomed it more than being overly-formal. She offered Bianca an assuring smile and went to her side, Muffin taking the lead over them all. “I’m ready, Bianca.”

But deep inside, Yukari was still a bundle of nerves. What Cheyloe said was true; it was due to the big leap she made in her life. It seemed like yesterday she was just another town dragoness; scared of her own shadow and not aiming higher in life. It still blew her mind just how much she changed in several months. All because she met Lindar on that stormy night. And after he told her about the curse and his heart, she found herself with a funny thought. In some ways, they could thank the Sorceress for bringing them together. She shivered at the thought of that awful woman…but at least no one else had to suffer because of her.

It still felt like a dream. Nevertheless, Yukari was thankful for this big leap in life. She was thankful to have met the Clockwork King.

* * *

Lindar was thankful there were no other royals to make him nervous.

The closest to high authority was Mayor Nestor and the town council members. The rest in attendance were the townsfolk, the servants and other castle members, and a few friends who hurried as soon as they heard he was alive. Even the servants who chose not to return faithfully attended. Gildas was right at his side holding something, leaving the others to watch with bated breath.

As soon as Lindar saw Yukari arrive, it was time.

Gildas cleared his throat and produced what he held. It wasn’t a normal crown for a king, by any means. The gold was shaped into a sort of headband with a sapphire in the center. On each side of the crown were horn-like attachments, fitting for a dragon lacking horns like Lindar. Very few knew the previous king also lacked horns. The thought of Lindar’s father made Gildas smile as he looked to the prince. No…to the new king. The crown would look perfect on the younger dragon.

“To everyone in attendance…we are gathered here to day to witness the heir to the royal throne taking his rightful place,” the older blue dragon addressed. “He has gone through much to come to this point…and during his tribulations, he’s grown into a fine dragon. I believe the late king and queen would be proud of him, even in their passing.”

Lindar’s eyes had moisture building up in the corners. He kept himself strong as Gildas came forward. He lowered his head enough for the older dragon to place the crown around his head. The last time he saw the crown was on his father’s head…and now it was his to wear.

“Presenting His Majesty, King Lindar.”

The attendees all gave bows and curtsies of respect before they loudly applauded Lindar. The prince-turned-king stood silently and took it all in, still digesting his new title. Soon, though, he brought himself back into focus to give a speech of some sort. Unlike his father, his speech wouldn’t be pre-written or practiced without sleep. His speech would come from the heart.

Clearing his throat, Lindar began, “Thank you…all of you. In truth, I don’t feel deserving of this title. Over three years ago, I didn’t know how to control my tongue and damaged a lot of friendships…even my relationship with my parents. I spoke of love, but I didn’t know what love truly is. I found my heart broken, and I wound up turning to the wrong person to fix it. I spent the past three years embittered and hopeless…but I’ve learned that there’s always hope. There’s always forgiveness.”

He looked to Yukari in the audience and smiled, adding, “And you can always open yourself up again and find true love.”

Yukari held her hands above her heart and smiled brightly in response. Lindar concluded his speech with, “I won’t be a perfect king, but I promise to be kind, fair, and just. I promise to listen to your concerns and to value all of you. This is a promise I’ll work hard to keep.”

With that, Lindar stepped down and everyone parted as he locked eyes with the pastel-pink dragoness. It was time for the celebration to begin, and they would have the opportunity to go first. Both of them met in the center of the ballroom and took hold of each-other. As soon as Gavin turned on the phonograph, instead of a quiet waltz, Lindar picked Yukari up and twirled her around. They soon followed with a deep kiss before continuing with their dance.

Hunter immediately began dancing with Bianca, finishing what they started that wintery night. Spyro, in spite of his still adjusting to two legs, danced with Elora. Gavin and Cheyloe immediately paired up, followed by Anna and her husband, Magnus. The other dragons decided to watch in amusement, some talking about the brighter future. Gildas and Lateef especially beamed at the sight, the latter quietly drying his eyes with a handkerchief.

Speaking of future, Lindar and Yukari had one to talk about, indeed.

“You know,” Lindar began in a sing-song voice, “what’s a Clockwork King without a Clockwork Queen by his side? I’m looking for a volunteer for that position.”

Yukari looked up at him, raising an eyebrow, and asked, “Do you suppose I’m qualified for that position?”

Lindar pretended to think on it, then grinned at her. “You’ve hit all the checkmarks, so I say you’ll be the Clockwork Queen I need.”

Neither one could have pictured this moment happening. But what was months felt more like years in the trials they overcame, both with the Sorceress and getting to know each-other. They triumphed over all those trials, and now they were ready to face new ones. Their broken hearts were healed and made one. Most of all, they learned what true love really was and shared it with each-other. 

Now they could plan for the next level: a future together built upon undying love.


End file.
